102 
ANSERIFORMES 
The female is less easily characterized. In general appearance it resembles the female 
Harlequin or Buffle-head. Its much larger size, lack of white wing spot, and presence of 
white on the neck, separate it easily from the Buffle-head; its white underparts and flanks, 
larger amount of white on head, and white neck are distinctive from the Harlequin. 
Field Marks. The long tail of the male, along with chunky build and general color- 
ation. In winter, it is mostly white with a conspicuous black patch on the side of the 
head. In summer it is mostly black, or very dark, with a white mask. The female is 
largely white, especially on flanks and underparts, the only such duck with solidly dark 
wings. The species is comparatively easy to recognize in life by these characteristics. 
Nesting. On the ground, near water, hidden under bushes or grass. 
Distribution. Common in winter on the seacoasts or the Great Lakes, rare in the 
interior. We have only occasional records for the species from the prairie sections. Breeds 
on the Barren Grounds across the continent. It is regularly only a winter visitor or migrant 
in our southern localities, but occasional subnormal birds summer on the southern coasts 
and the larger more northern lakes. 
In the southern regions of Canada it is essentially a winter duck and 
a bird of the seacoasts. It winters there in enormous flocks and is a most 
expert diver, sometimes being taken from fish-nets at depths of 90 feet 
or more. It is considered nearly worthless as a table-bird. 
155. Harlequin Duck, lord and lady, rock duck, la cane de roche. Histri- 
onicus histrionicus. L, 17. Plate XI A. A small duck, well named after particoloured 
Harlequin. 
Distinctions. The male with its striking coloration is not to be confused with any 
other species. The female, however, is not unlike the females of several other species. 
Having no wing spot or speculum sets her off from all other comparable ducks except the 
Old-squaw, the Surf Scoter, and the Ruddy. From the Old-squaw she can be told by the 
evenly dark head and neck with two, sometimes three, white spots on the sides of the head 
and the dark flanks and undertail coverts. From the Surf Scoter, she is distinguished in 
hand by very much smaller size and the more delicate, un-scoter-like bill (Compare with 
Figure 159). From the Ruddy female she differs in having a small, narrow, instead of a 
large, flat, or spatulate, bill (Compare with Figure 161), and the brown areas are sooty and 
solid without suggestion of rusty or ochraceous vermiculation on the back. There is a 
slight general resemblance to the female Buffle-head (Figure 150), but there is no white on 
the wing. 
Field Marks. As far away as colour details can be made out, the male Harlequin with 
its sharp, contrasting white spots on a dark ground is conspicuously identifiable. The 
crescent just in front of the wing is visible at a great distance. The female is more easily 
confused, especially with the Buffle-head, the Old-squaw, and the Surf Scoter. From the 
Buffle-head its larger size, general darkness of underbody, two or three instead of one 
vague light spot on the face, and lack of white on wing when flying will differentiate under 
most circumstances. From the Old-squaw, which is also without wing spot, it is probably 
best distinguished by its dark instead of light underparts and flanks, the small amount of 
white on the head, and the total absence of white from the neck. The round white spot 
on the side of the hind head is the most conspicuous of these facial marks and has quite 
a different appearance from the white streak back from the eye of the female Old-squaw 
(Figure 151c). In general coloration the female Harlequin is an almost exact small replica 
of the female Surf Scoter. When the great difference in size cannot be estimated, the more 
delicate bill and head outline is the best distinction from the heavy-billed, large-headed 
Scoter. 
Nesting. On the ground, under rocks or driftwood or in hollow trees. 
Distribution. A bird of peculiar, discontinuous distribution. Common on the 
northern Atlantic and the Pacific coasts and in the interior of British Columbia. Rather 
scarce through Slave River and Mackenzie River Valleys and never seeming to come 
south into the prairie sections except in the foothills or regions adjacent to the mountains. 
It breeds on the mountain streams, probably wherever found, and on south Baffin Island 
and adjacent Labrador. 
SUBSPECIES. The western American and northeastern Asian birds of this species 
have been separated from our eastern birds by small details of colour, as the Western 
Harlequin Duck (la Cane de roche de l’Ouest) Histrionicus histrionicus pacificus. 
