Some of our winter birds spend the year round in one region. Certain of
them, like the Song Sparrow and Crow, migrate to an extent, the nesting
individuals moving southward during winter, their place being taken by
other individuals of the same species from farther north. Some winter
birds, such as the Junco, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, and
Tree Sparrow, visit us from the north and return to their Canadian
nesting-ground with the arrival of spring. Most of our familiar summer
birds spend the winter to the southward, many of them in South America.
They come to us for a few months each year for the sole purpose of
bringing forth their young. Many species of birds pass through
Pennsylvania en route from their home in the south to their
nesting-grounds in the north, and back again in the fall.
By far the greater number of species migrate to an extent. The
phenomenon of bird-migration has caused many a student to wonder. How
did such a tremendous annual movement originate? How do the birds endure
their great flights across bodies of water?
The probability is that the migration of birds developed in past
centuries as the food-supply in the tropics became insufficient for all
the nesting birds which tried to bring forth their young there. Urged by
the need for solitude and a good food-supply, certain birds pushed out
from the ancestral range and established a new summer home. After the
young were reared, instinct drew them back to the region which was
familiar to them, and so great migration routes have developed. Today
the tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird rears his young in our woodlands,
then returns to South America with the young birds. Our Yellow Warbler,
Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager,
and many others, all go to South America.
Food-conditions, no doubt, have something to do with migration
movements. Birds are well clothed with feathers, to be sure, but many of
them depend on an insect diet, such as would be difficult to secure
during cold winters. Some of our birds actually do not migrate if a
food-supply is available.
Most of the smaller birds migrate at night, following streams or
mountain ranges. Swallows and hawks usually migrate by day, ducks and
geese by both day and night. The Ohio, Delaware, and Susquehanna river
valleys are important routes of migration. The shore of Lake Erie is a
resting-ground for birds which have flown over this large body of water.
In fall, at Presque Isle, the trees may be alive with birds which have
just made the flight. The Atlantic Coast is an important route of
migration for many waterbirds. Since Pennsylvania has no salt-water
shore-line, we do not find some species which are to be found along the
coast of New Jersey and Delaware.
Many birds which occur in abundance at Erie, in fall, rest there until
they are able to take another flight; then they start southward for a
feeding or resting-ground south of Pennsylvania, and therefore skip over
most of the Commonwealth.
The distribution of birds and the constancy of their migration routes is
a source of much wonder to all of us. Why should the two Palm Warblers,
for instance, so invariably be found each year, one to the eastward, one
to the westward of the mountains? Why should some birds be here in fall
and not in spring? Why should others be so variable in numbers? If you
keep careful notes upon the migratory birds, you may eventually help to
solve some of these problems.
HORNED GREBE
_Colymbus auritus_ Linnæus
Other Names.—Dipper; Hell-Diver.
Description.—Neck long; no tail-feathers; toes flat and broad, feet at
rear of body; sexes similar. _Adult in spring_: Large, puffy head,
black, with stripe and silken plumes behind eye buffy; plumage of back
blackish edged with gray; secondaries white; neck, breast, and sides
chestnut; belly silvery white; eyes bright pink, the pupil encircled
with a white ring. _Immature birds and adults in winter_: Grayish
black above, silvery white beneath, grayish on the throat, with white
cheek-patches which nearly meet on nape. _Length_: 13½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant throughout the Commonwealth from
March 20 to May 10 and from October 1 to November 30; occasional in
winter when water is free of ice.
[Illustration: Horned Grebe, Winter Plumage]
The white on the sides of the head and the white wing-patches
distinguish this species in winter plumage from the Pied-billed Grebe;
the gay spring plumage of the Horned Grebe is unmistakable. Look for
this bright-eyed diver along the larger waterways. Its ability in
swimming under water causes it to evade its enemies by disappearing
beneath the surface rather than by flying. Grebes have the interesting
habit of swallowing their own feathers as they moult, or as they pluck
them out.
Holbœll’s Grebe (_Colymbus holbœllii_), a much larger bird, is very rare
in Pennsylvania. In spring plumage it has a red-brown neck. It is about
twice as large as either the Horned or Pied-billed Grebe and has a
proportionately heavier and larger bill.
PIED-BILLED GREBE
_Podilymbus podiceps podiceps_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Dabchick; Hell-Diver; Dipper; Dipper-Duck (erroneous).
Description.—Sexes similar. _Adults in summer_: Glossy, dark brown
above; throat black; neck, breast, and sides grayish, washed with
brownish and indistinctly mottled with blackish; lower breast and
belly glossy white; black band across bill. _Immature birds and adults
in winter_: Similar, but without black on throat and bill. _Length_:
13½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Rare as a summer resident, chiefly because
there are so few lakes and marshes suited to its nesting; fairly
common as a migrant from April 1 to May 15 and from August 25 to
October 30.
Nest.—Flat, composed of decaying vegetation, floating among
water-weeds or anchored by plants which are attached to the bottom.
_Eggs_: 4 to 7, dull white, usually so heavily stained as to be
brownish in appearance.
[Illustration: Pied-billed Grebe, Breeding Plumage]
The Pied-billed Grebe is such an excellent diver and can so artfully
escape detection by swimming beneath the surface of the water, with only
its bill exposed, that it is often a difficult bird to observe. On land
it is virtually helpless. The shortness of the body of the swimming
grebe makes it comparatively easy to identify, and the unmarked wings
distinguish this species from the Horned Grebe. The Pied-billed Grebe
will frequently be seen along smaller streams and in little ponds.
LOON
_Gavia immer immer_ (Brünnich)
Other Names.—Great Northern Diver; Loom.
Description.—Size large; bill long and sharp; tail very short, with
legs sticking out behind. _Adults in spring_: Upperparts black, with
bluish and greenish reflections; patches on throat and sides of neck
streaked with white; back and wings marked regularly with rows of
white squares; underparts silvery white; sides black, spotted finely
with white; eyes red. _Immature birds and adults in winter_:
Upperparts blackish, margined with gray and without white spots;
throat and neck grayish; underparts white. _Length_: about 30 inches.
[Illustration: Loon, Breeding Plumage]
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common migrant along the larger lakes
and waterways from March 15 to May 10 and from October 1 to December 15;
occasional in winter when the water is free of ice.
The Loon is at perfect ease in the water; on land it shuffles along,
using its wings as feet, and it cannot rise in flight from the ground.
It lives almost altogether on fish which it captures under water and
swallows entire. As a rule, it is to be seen far out from shore,
floating quietly. Easily it slips under the water, perhaps to reappear a
hundred yards or more from the point at which it went down. The weird,
laughing cry, which is famous in literature, is not often heard in
Pennsylvania, since the birds do not nest here.
In the hand, the Loon is easily recognized by its striking coloration in
spring; or in winter by its long, sharp bill and its large, webbed feet;
at a distance, in the water, it may be confused with a cormorant, which
has a hooked bill and a rather long tail, or with some of the larger
ducks which have shorter, more stubby bills.
The smaller Red-throated Loon (_Gavia stellata_), usually a rare bird in
Pennsylvania, is found during winter or early spring. In winter the back
is gray, _flecked with white_; in spring there is a triangular patch of
red-brown on the lower throat; it is always white below.
HERRING GULL
_Larus argentatus argentatus_ Pontoppidan
Other Names.—Sea Gull; Gray Gull.
Description.—Sexes similar. _Adults in summer_: White, with pearl-gray
back and wings; tips of wings black with white spots; bill yellow with
orange spot near tip of lower mandible; feet pale pink; eyes pale
yellow. _Adults in winter_: Similar, with gray spots on head and neck.
_Immature birds_: Dark gray-brown at a distance, with blackish bill
and dark brown eyes; in the hand the upper-parts are found to be dark
gray, considerably marked with buffy. The acquiring of fully adult
plumage requires several moults. Birds which are not fully adult may
have black-tipped, white tails. Young in their first flight plumage
are darker than older individuals. _Length_: 24 inches.
[Illustration: Herring Gull, Breeding Plumage]
Range in Pennsylvania.—A somewhat irregular migrant and winter resident
throughout, save at Erie, where it is common during summer, though it
does not, apparently, nest there. In the interior it appears in spring
as soon as the ice breaks up and is usually noted along the larger
waterways.
Large gulls seen in Pennsylvania are usually of this species. Their long
wings and graceful flight mark them at great distance. The smaller
Ring-billed Gull, which is not easy to distinguish from this species in
the field, has greenish yellow feet and a black band across the bill.
Herring Gulls are often abundant about the harbor at Erie.
RING-BILLED GULL
_Larus delawarensis_ Ord
Description.—Sexes similar. _Adults in summer_: Like the Herring Gull,
but much smaller, with greenish yellow bill crossed near tip by black
band, and with greenish yellow feet. In winter the head and neck are
spotted with gray. _Immature_: Gray-brown; tail white, with black band
near tip; end of bill black. _Length_: 18 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—An irregular migrant in February, March, and
April, and in October and November, sometimes appearing in flocks;
occasional in winter.
The Ring-billed Gull should be identified in the field with a glass. It
is much like the Herring Gull in general appearance, and, unless it be
compared directly with the larger bird, may pass undetected. Remember
the yellowish feet and the black band across the bill.
BONAPARTE’S GULL
_Chroicocephalus philadelphia_ (Ord)
Description.—Size small; sexes similar. _Adults in summer_: White,
with rosy flush on belly, _head black_ with white spot at eye,
pearl-gray mantle, and black-tipped wings. Adults in winter lack the
rosy flush of the underparts and have white heads upon the back of
which are two dusky spots. Immature birds are similar to adults in
winter but have a black band near the tip of the tail. _Length_: 14
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly regular migrant along the waterways
from about April 1 to May 10 (sometimes considerably later) and from
September 1 to October 10. Not often seen in winter.
This, the smallest of our gulls, is often seen in flocks. At Conneaut
Lake, Crawford County, where they are regular visitors, they circle
about rapidly, like terns, resting on the water at intervals or standing
on a floating timber. Their black heads distinguish them easily from all
other species save the Laughing Gull (_Chroicocephalus atricilla
megalopterus_) a larger species which nests along the Atlantic Coast,
and which may occur occasionally along the waterways of the southeastern
part of the Commonwealth.
COMMON TERN
_Sterna hirundo_ Linnæus
Other Names.—Sea Swallow; Striker; Wilson’s Tern.
Description.—Smaller than a gull, with long, deeply forked tail.
_Adults in summer_: Top of head glossy black; rest of body pearl-gray,
save throat, sides of head, and tail, which are white, the outer
tail-feathers with outer webs pearl-gray; bill red, with black tip;
feet orange-red. _Adults in winter_: Similar, but with forepart of
head and underparts white, and bill blackish. _Immature_: Similar to
adults in winter, but plumage considerably washed with brownish,
lesser wing-coverts slaty, and tail short, though forked. _Length_: 15
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rather irregular migrant.
The more rapid flight, long forked tail, and habit of pointing the bill
downward, rather than forward, while flying, distinguish the terns from
the gulls. Common Terns are sometimes seen flying gracefully about a
small pond, seeking small fish or aquatic insects, which they capture
with great dexterity. During migration they are usually silent, and they
do not often remain long in one locality.
[Illustration: Common Tern, Adult]
The much larger Caspian Tern (_Hydroprogne caspia imperator_) is similar
in color-pattern to the Common Tern but has a much heavier, _red_ bill,
and a short, though forked tail. This species, which is decidedly rare
as a migrant in the interior, has established a small nesting colony
near Erie. The Caspian Tern is 21 inches long.
BLACK TERN
_Chlidonias nigra surinamensis_ (Gmelin)
Other Name.—Marsh Tern.
Description.—Size small; tail short, forked. _Adults in summer_: Head
and underparts black, save under tail-coverts, which are white;
upperparts gray; bill and feet red. _Adults in winter and immature_:
White, with pearl-gray back and wings and dusky spots on head; bill
and feet dusky. _Length_: 10 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Irregular as a migrant throughout the
Commonwealth; more frequently seen than other Terns about marshes and
on small bodies of water; usually seen between April 25 and September
30. Though it is thus to be seen in midsummer irregularly, it is not
known to nest in Pennsylvania at the present time.
[Illustration: Black Tern, Adult]
The adult Black Tern, as it courses about a marsh or pond, is a
beautiful, buoyant creature. Its flight is swallow-like. It is probable
that this species nests occasionally along the Lake Erie shore, or at
some of the larger lakes wherever there are marshy shores.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
_Phalacrocorax auritus auritus_ (Lesson)
Other Name.—Shag.
Description.—Four toes all webbed together; bill long and strongly
hooked at tip; tail stiff and moderately long; plumage thick and firm.
_Adults in breeding plumage_: Glossy greenish black, save on back
which is dark gray, each feather being margined with lighter gray; two
filamentous tufts of black feathers on back of head; neck with thin
sprinkling of silken white feathers during period of courtship; bill
blackish, marked at base with dull yellow; sack under bill yellow;
eyes bright green. _Immature and adult in winter_ (the plumage usually
seen in Pennsylvania): Without crests, and whole plumage brownish
black, somewhat mottled beneath, and with light area on throat; eyes
grayish green, not bright green. _Length_: About 30 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant found principally along the larger
water-ways from about March 20 to May 10 and from September 15 to
November 15. It is occasionally seen in winter when the water is free
of ice.
[Illustration: Double-crested Cormorant, Breeding Plumage]
Cormorants sit low in the water so that, while swimming, their tails do
not show as field-marks, but their long necks, large heads, and the
strongly hooked bills distinguish them at a considerable distance. In
flight their wings beat regularly.
The bulky, wide-winged White Pelican (_Pelecanus erythrorhynchos_) is
occasionally noted as a straggler in Pennsylvania. It is white, with
black wing-tips, and is so noticeably equipped with long bill and
throat-pouch that it can hardly be confused with any other species. Its
four toes are all webbed together, as in the Double-crested Cormorant.
Additional records of this species are desirable.
MERGANSER
_Mergus merganser americanus_ Cassin
[Illustration: American Merganser, Male]
Other Names.—Shelldrake; Goosander; Fish Duck; Sawbill; American
Merganser.
Description.—One of the largest of the ducks; bill long and narrow,
with teeth on both mandibles. _Adult male_: Head and upper neck
greenish black; lower neck, patches in wings, and underparts white;
belly suffused with salmon-pink, noticeable in some individuals; back,
shoulders, and wings black; rump and tail gray; bill and feet red;
eyes bright red. _Adult female_: Head, with two large crests, and neck
rich brown, marked with white areas in front of eye and on chin and
upper throat; upperparts ashy gray; patch in wings, and breast and
belly white. _Length_: 25 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common and regular migrant along the
larger waterways and sometimes on the smaller streams from about March
15 to April 20 and from October 1 to December 1. It frequently occurs
in winter when the water is free of ice.
The mergansers are all expert fishermen and like to fish in swift water.
They dive easily and their serrate bills help them to hold their
slippery prey.
The female Merganser is difficult to distinguish from the female
Red-breasted Merganser; in the present species, however, the white area
on the chin and upper throat is sharply defined, whereas in the
Red-breasted species the chin and throat are _not_ white, but of a
brownish color, paler than the rest of the head.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
_Mergus serrator_ Linnæus
Other Names.—Shelldrake; Fish Duck; Sawbill.
Description.—Male, with long, graceful crest of fine feathers; female
with double crest, as in the female Merganser. _Male_: Head and upper
neck glossy greenish black; lower neck, patch on upper chest, patches
on wing, and underparts white; back black; rump and tail grayish;
breast reddish brown, mottled with black, and on sides marked with a
striking double row of black and white feathers; sides finely barred
with blackish; legs, feet, and eyes red. _Female_: Head and neck
rufous brown, grayish on crown and crest; throat not white, but of
paler brown than rest of head; back grayish, washed with brown;
underparts white, sides marked with brown; bill and feet brownish;
base of lower mandible reddish; eyes, brown. _Length_: 22 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common and regular migrant,
principally along the larger waterways, appearing somewhat later in
spring than the preceding species and disappearing earlier in the
fall.
[Illustration: Red-breasted Merganser, Male]
It is said that the Red-breasted Merganser is less frequently seen along
the smaller streams than is the larger Merganser. Both species eat fish
and therefore are not considered as of much value for food.
HOODED MERGANSER
_Lophodytes cucullatus_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Shelldrake; Fish Duck.
Description.—Bill long and narrow, with teeth on both mandibles.
_Male_: Head, neck, back, and tail black; a high, fan-shaped crest on
head strikingly marked with white; speculum white; sides rufous,
finely barred with black; breast and belly white; eyes bright yellow.
_Female_: Dull brown, somewhat brighter on the thin crest, and grayer
on head and neck; upper throat, belly, and speculum white; eyes brown.
_Length_: 18 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common and regular as a migrant from
March 25 to April 15 and from October 25 to December 10. It has been
noted in summer locally, so there is a possibility that it nests,
though there are no definite records at present.
[Illustration: Hooded Merganser, Male]
The male Hooded Merganser is one of our most striking birds and cannot
easily be confused with any other species. The Hooded Merganser may be
found along a quiet stretch of a small stream where the handsome males,
at rest, do not display their high crests. In such mood the head has
much the appearance of that of the other species of Fish Duck—thin,
long, and snake-like. When rising, the birds beat their wings with
amazing rapidity, the white speculum in the wings flickering
brilliantly. This species is not so often found in swift water as are
the Merganser and Red-breasted Merganser.
MALLARD
_Anas platyrhynchos platyrhynchos_ Linnæus
Other Names.—Gray Mallard; Wild Duck.
Description.—_Male_: Head and neck rich glossy green, with violet
reflections; neck with striking white collar; back and wings gray;
speculum violet, bordered with black and white; rump, and upper and
under tail-coverts black; tail feathers whitish; breast rich glossy
chestnut; sides gray, finely barred; belly white; bill yellow; feet
bright pink. _Female_: Mottled and streaked all over with grayish
brown; speculum as in male; bill dull greenish yellow; feet dull pink.
_Length_: 23 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Common and regular as a migrant from March 1 to
May 20 and from October 1 to December 15; nests locally and
uncommonly, chiefly in swampy regions or along small upgrown streams.
Nest.—Built in a depression under a bush or in high grass, usually
near the water, and lined with down. _Eggs_: 6 to 15, pale greenish
buff. Duck eggs are usually glossy in appearance.
[Illustration: Mallard, Male]
The Mallard, best known of our ducks, is the ancestor of several
domestic strains of water-fowl. It is usually found in flocks along the
shallow margins of streams, where it procures its food by nibbling along
the bottom while its tail protrudes from the water.
The white tail and red feet of the male, which contrast with the gray of
the back and wings, are good field-marks as the flock hurriedly rises
and makes away.
BLACK DUCK
_Anas rubripes tristis_ Brewster
Other Names.—Black Mallard; Dusky Mallard.
Description.—Sexes similar; general appearance dark brown, darkest on
top of head and on back, all feathers margined with brownish buff;
cheeks buffy, streaked with black; speculum rich violet, bordered with
black, and, at tips of feathers, with white; under-wing plumage white;
bill greenish; _feet dusky_ in Black Duck; bright red in the
Red-legged Black Duck. _Length_: 22 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common migrant from March 1 to May 10
and from October 1 to December 25; uncommon and local as a summer
resident, chiefly near lakes or quiet stretches in streams. _Nest_ and
_eggs_ like those of the Mallard.
[Illustration: Black Duck, Male]
Two forms of the Black Duck occur in Pennsylvania: The smaller, duller
Black Duck as a migrant occurs at about the same time as the Mallard and
nests locally. The Red-legged Black Duck (_Anas rubripes rubripes_), a
summer bird of Labrador, comes south later in the fall, and has been
known even to occur in the northern part of the State in late December,
so there is a probability that this form occasionally winters when the
water is free of ice.
Both the Mallard and Black Duck quack loudly, like domestic ducks,
particularly when they are surprised. Large, dark-colored ducks which
show white under the wings as they fly off are likely to be Black Ducks.
GADWALL
_Chaulelasmus streperus_ (Linnæus)
Other Name.—Gray Duck.
Description.—Smaller than Mallard. _Male_: Top of head with low,
fluffy crest, mottled with rufous and black; sides of head and neck
buffy, streaked and spotted with black; breast and lower neck black,
each feather with a central spot and border of white which gives a
remarkably beautiful scaled appearance; back gray-brown; rump and
upper and under tail-coverts black; breast and belly whitish; sides
finely barred with blackish, _lesser wing-coverts chestnut_; speculum
white; _feet yellow_. _Female_: Similar but duller, and with chest and
sides buffy, thickly spotted with blackish; underparts white, more or
less spotted with black, and with little or no chestnut on the lesser
wing-coverts. _Length_: 20 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A rare and irregular migrant from about March
10 to April 30 and from September 25 to October 30. This is one of our
rarer ducks.
[Illustration: Gadwall, Male]
I have found the yellow feet of this species to be a fairly good
field-mark, but in the swimming birds the white speculum, though it be
nearly covered by the flank-feathers, is a reliable feature. Gadwalls
feed in shallow water, as do their close relatives, the Black Duck and
Mallard, and they often feed at night. Definite records of this species
in Pennsylvania are desirable.
BALDPATE
_Mareca americana_ (Gmelin)
Other Names.—Widgeon; American Widgeon.
Description.—_Male_: Top of head white or buffy; sides of crown back
of eye glossy green, spotted with black; rest of head buffy, finely
streaked and spotted with black; breast and sides pinkish brown, the
sides finely and thickly barred with black; belly white; back
gray-brown, finely barred black; bill blue-gray. _Female_: Head and
neck pale buffy, finely streaked with black; breast and sides dull
pinkish brown, washed with grayish; belly white; back grayish brown,
barred irregularly with buffy; greater wing-coverts brownish gray,
their outer webs mostly or entirely white, their tips black, sometimes
edged with white; greater under wing-coverts white. _Length_: 19
inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Rather common as a migrant from March 1 to
August 15 and from October 1 to November 1, sometimes abundant,
particularly along the larger streams.
[Illustration: Baldpate, Male]
The white crown-patch of the male Baldpate not only has given this bird
its name but also furnishes an excellent field-mark. The pinkish brown
breast and sides are somewhat diagnostic also, though this color is not
usually seen to good advantage in the field. The call-note is said to be
“a sort of _whew, whew, whew_.” Baldpates are, as a rule, shallow-water
feeders.
The European Widgeon (_Mareca penelope_) should be looked for in
Pennsylvania. The male has a buffy crown. The under wing-coverts of the
female are barred, whereas in the female Baldpate the greater under
wing-coverts are white.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL
_Nettion carolinense_ (Gmelin)
Other Name.—Mud Teal.
Description.—Small for a Duck, being about half as large as a domestic
Duck. _Male_: Head, with flowing crest, chestnut, an area around and
back of eye to nape glossy green, bordered below with a thin whitish
line; chin black; upperparts gray, finely barred with black; speculum
green, bordered with black and buffy; middle under tail-coverts black,
lateral ones creamy; breast and sides pinkish brown, finely barred
with black, a white bar on side of breast; belly white or buffy,
spotted, sometimes irregularly, with blackish. _Female_: Top of head
blackish, feathers edged with rufous; sides of head and neck white,
heavily streaked with black; upperparts blackish, all feathers
margined with buffy; green speculum on wing, as in male; underparts
considerably mottled—not barred as in male. _Length_: 14½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant from March 20 to April 20 and from
September 25 to November 10, often found along smaller streams.
Locally, as at Conneaut Lake and at Erie, it is common during the
height of migration.
[Illustration: Green-winged Teal, Male]
The Teals are our smallest ducks. Their size and remarkably swift flight
make them comparatively easy to identify, save in foggy weather when the
apparent size of birds in the field is apt to be misleading. The
Green-wing feeds like the Mallard and Black Duck, by “tipping” in
shallow water and plucking food from the bottom.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL
_Querquedula discors_ (Linnæus)
[Illustration: Blue-winged Teal, Male]
Description.—Size small, as in Green-wing. _Male_: Head dark blue-gray
with violet reflections; crown dark brown; chin and sides of base of
bill blackish; a crescent-shaped patch of white in front of eye; back
brown, barred and mottled with black; breast white, buffy, or rusty,
heavily spotted with black; lesser and middle wing-coverts gray-blue,
forming a conspicuous color-area, particularly in flight; speculum
glossy green. _Female and immature_: Crown dark brown, irregularly
streaked with grayish; sides of head and neck grayish, streaked with
black; throat whitish; breast and belly usually whitish spotted and
margined with blackish; speculum glossy green. _Length_: 16 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant from April 15 to May 15 and from
September 1 to October 15, sometimes quite common. It may nest
occasionally in marshy situations.
The blue lesser wing-coverts of this species are fairly easy to
recognize, even at a considerable distance. It is relatively silent
while it is passing through Pennsylvania; the Green-wing is more
voluble. At Wildwood Lake, near Harrisburg, Blue-winged Teals occur with
some regularity along a marshy neck of land which protrudes into the
lake at the mouth of an inflowing stream. Here the birds rest quietly,
feeding in early morning and toward evening, and flying about only when
they are disturbed. They are usually mated by the time they reach this
latitude in the spring.
SHOVELER
_Spatula clypeata_ (Linnæus)
Other Name.—Spoonbill Duck.
Description.—Comparatively small, but larger than the Teals. Bill very
large and broad, noticeably so even at considerable distance in the
field. _Male_: Head and neck rich black, glossed with green and
violet; line down back of neck and back dark brown; belly and sides
rich chestnut; lesser wing-coverts gray-blue, as in the Blue-winged
Teal, the greater coverts brownish, tipped with white; speculum green;
upper and under tail-coverts black; eyes yellow; feet pink. _Female_:
Head and neck streaked with black and buffy bars; throat buffy;
underparts buffy, feathers margined and spotted with dark brown and
buffy; feet orange-pink, paler than in male; eyes brown; bill greenish
yellow, blotched with brownish. _Immature birds_ are intermediate in
appearance between the adult male and adult female. The immature
female’s speculum is noticeably grayish, with little green. _Length_:
20 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Rather rare migrant from March 1 to April 15
and from September 15 to November 1. Not usually seen in large flocks.
[Illustration: Shoveler, Male]
The huge bill of this species will distinguish it in any plumage. Its
blue wing-coverts have much the appearance of those of the Blue-winged
Teal.
PINTAIL
_Dafila acuta tzitzihoa_ (Vieillot)
Other Names.—Sprig; Sprig-tail; Spike-tail.
Description.—Neck long and slender in both sexes. _Male in mating
plumage, which is characteristic of the winter months_: Head warm
brown, glossed faintly on cheeks with violet; back of neck blackish,
bordered by white stripes which run down sides of neck to breast; back
brownish gray; shoulders black, margined with white or buffy; wing
brownish gray, the greater coverts tipped with cinnamon; speculum
green, bordered narrowly with white; central tail-feathers very long
and narrow, black; underparts white; sides heavily marked with fine
lines of black. _Female_: Crown blackish, irregularly marked with rich
brown; throat white; sides of head and neck considerably streaked;
breast buffy, spotted with blackish; feathers of sides margined and
barred with dark brown and white; under wing-coverts dark brown,
bordered with whitish. The male in summer breeding dress resembles the
female. _Length_: Male, 28 inches, in full, long-tailed plumage;
female, 22 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common and regular migrant from March
1 to April 15 and from September 20 to December 15. It has even been
known to winter in the northern part of the Commonwealth.
[Illustration: Pintail
Male Female]
The female, while not strikingly marked, may be recognized by the long
neck, the sharply pointed middle tail-feathers, and by the dark under
wing-coverts. Pintails are swift fliers, and have the ability of rising
straight into the air from a pond or from the ground.
WOOD DUCK
_Aix sponsa_ (Linnæus)
[Illustration: Wood Duck
Female Male]
Description.—Smaller than Mallard; both sexes with crest, smaller in
female than in male. _Male_: Head and crest rich glossy green, with
violet and blue reflections; a line from bill over eye, a line along
side of crest, and other lines in flowing feathers of crest, white;
throat, a band from it up cheeks, and a wide band at nape, white;
breast and an area at either side of base of tail, chestnut, the
breast spotted with white; band on breast in front of wing, white;
sides buffy, finely barred with black, the long flank-feathers tipped
with striking bands of black and white; back greenish brown; scapulars
blackish, glossed with steel-blue and greenish; speculum steel-blue
tipped with white; primaries tipped with greenish blue; tail
blue-black; eyes red; bill dusky, white, and red; feet yellowish.
_Female_: Area below and back of eye, and throat, white; crown brown,
glossed with purplish; sides of head ashy brown; breast and sides
grayish, streaked and mottled with brownish; belly white; back
olive-brown, glossed with greenish; the inner primaries tipped with
greenish blue. The immature resembles the adult female. The male in
eclipse plumage, which he assumes during late summer, is similar to
the female. _Length_: 18½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common as a migrant and summer resident
throughout, arriving in early April and remaining until November 1.
Commoner than most species of this family along the smaller streams.
Nest.—In a cavity in a tree. _Eggs_: 7 to 15, buffy white.
The male Wood Duck, thought by many to be the most beautiful American
bird, is a gorgeous creature. It is little wonder that an Indian legend
tells us that a little gray duck, while on a search for happiness, swam
into the end of the rainbow and came forth the brilliant creature we now
call the Wood Duck.
Agile almost as a perching bird, these ducks run about on the ground,
snapping up insects, or swim buoyantly in quiet pools near the woodland
they have selected as their summer home. In a cavity in a tree,
sometimes at considerable distance from the water and at quite a height
from the ground, the down-lined nest is built.
The young birds, it is said, clamber out of the nest and fall to the
ground as best they can, without being helped by either parent. Surely,
young birds which survive such an ordeal are prepared for the later
battles of life!
Wood Ducks are fond of acorns and of the seeds of many aquatic plants.
The young birds, like the adults, are amazingly agile and run about like
young chickens, bright-eyed, attractive, and so small as to be fairly
ludicrous as they race into the water for a swim!
REDHEAD
_Nyroca americana_ (Eyton)
Description.—Head high, rising abruptly from bill; both sexes with
tendency toward fluffy, round crest. _Male_: Entire head bright
rufous, glossed with purplish; lower neck, all around, breast, and
upper back, blackish; rest of back and scapulars finely barred with
wavy black and white lines of equal width; wing-coverts brownish gray;
wings gray, without a noticeable speculum; upper and under
tail-coverts black; belly white, lower belly more or less barred like
back; sides barred as in back; eyes yellow; bill blue-gray. _Female_:
Upperparts dark grayish brown, darker on wings, all feathers more or
less margined with buffy or ashy; neck buffy, somewhat mottled; breast
and sides gray-brown, washed or margined with buffy; belly and under
tail-coverts somewhat suffused with buffy; eyes brown; bill blackish,
with blue-gray band at end. _Length_: 19 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common as a migrant, noticeably along
the larger waterways, from March 1 to April 25 and from October 10 to
November 15. Sometimes occurs in great flocks.
[Illustration: Redhead, Male]
The high head and yellow eyes distinguish the male Redhead from the male
Canvasback, which is otherwise similar in appearance.
CANVASBACK
_Aristonetta valisineria_ (Wilson)
Description.—Bill long and gradually sloping up to the head which is
long and low, different markedly in this respect from that of the
Redhead. _Male_: Head and neck rufous; chin and crown blackish; lower
neck, breast, and upper back, black; back and wing-coverts barred with
black and white, the white lines so much wider as to appear, even at
some distance, whiter than in the Redhead; belly white, sides finely
barred; upper and under tail-coverts and tail, black; eyes reddish
brown; bill blackish. _Female_: Head, neck, breast, and upper back,
light rufous; throat pale, the frontparts of head somewhat brighter;
back, grayish brown, feathers washed with wavy white lines which the
female Redhead does not have; belly white; sides grayish brown,
sometimes marked like back. _Length_: 21 inches. The female is a
little smaller than the male.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A fairly common and regular migrant,
principally along the larger waterways, usually from March 10 to April
20 and from October 1 to December 15, sometimes abundant; irregular in
winter.
[Illustration: Canvasback, Male]
The white back of the male Canvasback is noticeable at a distance. The
female, which is rather similar to the female Redhead, may always be
recognized by the long, rather thin bill and low head.
SCAUP
_Fulix marila nearctica_ (Stejneger)
Other Names.—Blue-bill; Black-head; Raft Duck; Greater Scaup; American
Scaup.
Description.—_Adult male_: Head, neck, breast, and upper back, black,
head with greenish reflections; back and scapulars barred with black
and white; speculum white; upper and under tail-coverts black; belly
white, lower belly and sides finely barred with black; bill blue-gray;
eyes yellow. _Female_: Area about base of bill white; head, neck,
upper back, and breast, dark brown, margined with buffy on breast;
rest of upperparts somewhat lighter brown; sides brown, marked with
wavy white lines; belly and speculum white. _Length_: 18½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Fairly common as a migrant from March 10 to
April 25 and from October 1 to December 10. The Scaups are among the
species of this family most commonly recorded at reservoirs and along
large waterways.
[Illustration: Scaup
Female Male]
The two Scaups are not easy to distinguish in the field, and certain
identification depends upon the males, for the females are very much
alike. The male Scaup’s head shows _greenish_ reflections; the Lesser
Scaup’s head is glossed with purplish.
LESSER SCAUP
_Fulix affinis_ (Eyton)
Other Names.—Blue-bill; Black-head; Raft Duck.
Description.—Decidedly similar, in both sexes, to the preceding
species, but smaller, and the male’s head with purplish, rather than
greenish reflections. The barring of the sides of the Lesser Scaup is
stronger than in the Scaup. The females of the two species are
practically indistinguishable in the field. _Length_: 16½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Commoner throughout than the preceding species,
although some of our field records may be open to question in view of
the similarity of the two. The white speculum, dark head, and
_blue-gray_ bill are good field characters to remember.
RINGED-NECKED DUCK
_Perissonetta collaris_ (Donovan)
Other Names.—Blue-bill; Black-head; Raft Duck.
Description.—Both sexes similar to the Scaup and Lesser Scaup in
general appearance, differing in the following respects: in the male
Ring-neck the chin is white; the head, which has a somewhat higher
crest than in either Scaup, is richly glossed with purplish blue;
there is a rich brown collar about the neck (not easily noted in the
field); the _back is blackish_, and the _speculum is gray_, not white;
the female Ring-neck may be distinguished from the female Scaups by
the gray speculum; the head and neck of the female Ring-neck often has
a mottled or spotted appearance. In both sexes the blackish bill,
which is crossed near the tip with a whitish band, is an excellent
field-mark. If the sun is bright, this band may give the impression
that the bird is holding some small shining object in its bill.
_Length_: 16½ inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—While our records tend to indicate that this
species is less common than the Scaup or Lesser Scaup, it is probably
fairly regular and common as a migrant, occurring at about the same
time as the Lesser Scaup.
GOLDENEYE
_Glaucionetta clangula americana_ (Bonaparte)
Other Names.—Cuphead; Whistler.
Description.—Both sexes with short, stubby bills and high heads.
_Male_: Head black, glossed with green; a white spot below and in
front of eye; neck, exposed part of wing-coverts, speculum and part of
scapulars, and underparts, white; rest of plumage black; eyes yellow.
_Female_: Head brown, neck paler; breast, back, and sides gray;
speculum and underparts white; eyes yellow. _Length_: 20 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant which sometimes occurs in winter when
there is open water, but is not often common. It is to be found from
March 1 to April 15 and from October 10 to November 30.
[Illustration: Goldeneye, Male]
Goldeneyes will sometimes be seen resting on a floating piece of ice.
The musical, whistling sound of their beating wings has been responsible
for their common name, “Whistler.”
The large head and ludicrously short bill are fairly good field-marks
for this species, even at a considerable distance. The strongly
contrasting black and white plumage of the male is not easily to be
confused with that of any other species.
The Barrow’s Goldeneye (_Glaucionetta islandica_) is much rarer in
Pennsylvania than the Goldeneye. The male has a purplish head and a
somewhat crescent-shaped patch in front of and below the eye. His
scapulars are marked with white areas along the shafts. Records of this
species are very desirable.
BUFFLEHEAD
_Charitonetta albeola_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Butterball; Dipper Duck.
Description.—About half as large as a Mallard; both sexes with short
bills and high, rounded crests, more or less as in the Goldeneye.
_Male_: Head black, glossed handsomely with greenish, purplish,
bluish, and fiery orange; a large white band across back of head from
eye to eye; lower neck, wing-coverts, speculum, outer scapulars, and
underparts, white; back and wings black; lower back and tail grayish;
eyes dark brown. _Female_: Head and upper breast dull brown, patch on
either side of head, speculum, and breast and belly, white. _Length_:
15 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—Common, sometimes abundant, as a migrant, from
March 15 to April 15 and from October 1 to November 10. It is often
seen along the smaller, swifter streams and at small lakes. Mated
pairs are usually noted in spring.
The male, like the Wood Duck, is a creature of great beauty. The
Bufflehead is a good diver, and can disappear at the wink of an eye with
the agility of a grebe. It eats much animal matter, including small fish
which it captures while diving. These ducks are often exceedingly fat,
and this tendency, as well as the plump roundness of their body, has
given them the common name, “Butterball.”
[Illustration: Bufflehead, Male]
OLD SQUAW
_Clangula hiemalis_ (Linnæus)
Other Names.—Old Wife; Sou’ Southerly; Long-tailed Duck.
Description.—Male with very long, narrow, middle tail-feathers, longer
than in the Pintail; female without long tail-feathers. _Male in
winter_: Sides of head washed with grayish brown; sides of back of
head and upper neck black, more or less margined with buffy; rest of
head, neck, upper back, scapulars, and lower belly, white; back and
wings, breast, and upper belly, black; bill black with yellowish
orange band across end; eyes pale brown. _Female_: Upper parts dark
brown; scapulars and back more or less margined with grayish; sides of
head and neck white or whitish; breast gray; belly white. The male in
summer has the sides and front of head white; the rest of the plumage
is chiefly black, save the belly, which is white. _Length_: male, 21
inches; female, 16 inches.
Range in Pennsylvania.—A migrant from February 20 to April 10 and from
November 1 to December 20, sometimes occurring in winter, and
irregularly very abundant. Tremendous flocks have been noted at
Conneaut Lake and at Lake Erie.
The Old Squaw is a handsome and noisy species and demands attention
wherever it is found. It usually feeds in deep water, and therefore is
found but rarely in smaller ponds or along streams. The under
wing-coverts are dark, and there is no speculum in the wing. Its rapid
flight carries it along, a few feet above the water, at from 35 to 60
miles an hour, perhaps faster, and it alights with a swish. It is an
expert diver.
[Illustration: Old Squaw, Winter Plumage]