DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS: BALDPATE 
117 
wide green band , rest of head and neck finely spotted; back mainly vinaceous brown, 
marked with black, fading to whitish on central upper tail coverts, outer coverts 
mostly black; wing with, large white patch , and metallic green joined by velvety black 
of speculum; flight feathers dark brown or black edged with white; axillars white, 
wing linings pale ash gray; chest and sides vinaceous , belly white; white flank patch 
sh arply contrasting with black under 
tail coverts; iris brown, bill grayish 
blue, with black tip, legs and toes 
bluish gray, yellowish or brown, 
feet with dark webs. Adult male in 
post nuptial eclipse: Head without 
white or green, sides without bright 
vinaceous,under tail coverts spotty . 
Adult female and young: Head 
and neck thickly spotted, upper- 
parts grayish brown barred with 
yellowish brown; wing as in male 
but white above chiefly replaced 
by brown, speculum dull black, 
occasionally with a small patch of 
metallic green, rump and tail coverts brown , under coverts banded with white; 
breast dull brown, sides and flanks deep reddish brown. 
Range. Breeds from northwestern Alaska, the mouth of the Mackenzie, and 
Hudson Bay south to Indiana, Kansas, northern New Mexico (probably), Colorado, 
rizona (probably), Utah, Nevada, and northeastern California; winters from 
sout iern British Columbia, southern Nevada, central Utah, Arizona, northeastern 
Colorado, southern Illinois, and eastward to the Atlantic south to Lesser Antilles, 
and Costa Rica. 
State Records.— [In June, 1918, at Lake Burford two pairs of Baldpates were 
apparently nesting, and single males were occasionally Been (VVetinore). They are 
found on the mountain lakes in Colfax County (Charles Springer, 1925).! During 
both spring and fall migration they are common in New Mexico and are also found 
in winter in the northern part of the State; [common near Albuquerque in 1917 and 
1918 (Leopold)], and in the southern part on the Rio Grande aud Mimbres Rivers 
(Henry); [on the Rio Grande Bird Reserve, November 23-Deeember 9, 1916 (Wil¬ 
lett)]; on the Pecos (Carlsbad Bird Reserve), February, 1914 (Wilder); and in Janu¬ 
ary near Bear Canyon east of the San Andres Mountains (Gaut). The species was 
fairly common in migration the latter part of September, 1904, at Burford and La 
Jara Lakes, about 7,000 feet, in flocks of 12 to 20 (Bailey). It was equally common 
to late March, 1856, on Delaware Creek (Pope), and to March 20, 1904, near Santa 
Fe; noted after April 15 near Rinconada at 6,000 feet (Surber). On the Carlsbad 
Bird Reserve it was noted on March 6; 200 estimated, March 13; and 300 March 
23, 1914 (Cooper). One was noted April 15 at Silver City (Hunn), and it was re¬ 
corded as late as May 9, 1910, near Santa Rosa (Lantz and Piper).—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. Usually on dry ground often some distance from water, generally con¬ 
cealed in grass, weeds, or bushes, made of dry grass and weed stems lined with an 
abundance of light gray down. Eggs: 7 to 12, deep cream to nearly buffy white. 
Food. Roots, seeds, and leaves of aquatic plants, as wild rice, wild celery, and 
pondweeds; tender vegetable shoots; beechnuts, snails, and aquatic insects. The 
gizzard of one taken at Lake Burford September 27, 1904, contained sand and 
small seeds, mainly pond weed. 
From Handbook of Western Birds 
Fig. 10. Baldpate 
