by Dave Mance III Autumn 2011

Ducks, Beautiful Ducks: A Portfolio of Pintails, Woodies, and Butterballs

Photo by Tom Reichner

The beat changed more, and now they flew striking all together, so that their wings sung in unison as they went over his head. He stood stock still watching them, and long after they had passed down the sky he stood there, with the noise of their wings above his head.
- Patrick O’Brian from The Dawn Flighting

The late philosopher John O’Donohue, a mystic fellow, once pointed out that beauty does not linger. It only visits, whetting our appetites and refining our longing. Now, he wasn’t talking about ducks, but he could have been. With their vivid, metallically colored feathers, their perfect symmetry and liquid movement, ducks are beautiful by every metric (with the obvious exception of their voices). And as all of us know, wild ducks do not linger. They flush from wetlands at the merest hint of our presence. Many pass through our region on their way to some place north of us, and then again on their way to some place south of us. That they’re ephemeral makes them even more beautiful.

As for the word “longing,” we’ll grant you that it may seem a bit misplaced (unless you’re a randy drake during mating season). But to recognize beauty is to recognize dignity, grandeur, and grace of spirit. So why wouldn’t we long for a glimpse of that? You can see longing in the way a duck dog whirls around in the passenger’s seat, making little cries and licking the side window whenever she nears a wetland. See it in the brush strokes of artists and the prose of writers like Patrick O’Brian, quoted above.

What follows is a celebration of ducks, brought to you by award-winning photographer Tom Reichner, ecologist Allan Strong from The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont, and hunter T. Michael Scott, a man who pursues waterfowl with almost evangelical passion. The guides we refer to include The Birder’s Handbook, by Paul Ehrlich et al, The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Sibley, and Waterfowl of Eastern North America by Chris Earley.

The ducks in this essay fall into two general categories: dabblers and divers, though these terms can be misleading. Since dabblers dive and divers dabble, you’re forgiven for being confused. In general, the dabblers feed on the surface by dabbling (slurping tiny organisms from surface water) or tipping (dunking the first half of their body into the water). They float high, walk easily on land, and rise to fly straight from the surface of the water. Divers feed by diving underwater, sit low in the water, have trouble walking on land, and need a running start to take off.

We hope this photo essay serves as an educational tool for those new to ducks, and a love poem for those naturalists, conservationists, and hunters who are already familiar with these remarkable birds.

Beautiful Ducks Gallery

Ducks, Beautiful Ducks: A Portfolio of Pintails, Woodies, and Butterballs Photo: Tom Reichner

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 23”, 2.6 # From the Field Guide: Largest dabbling duck. Wings whistle faintly in flight. Found in any wet habitat. Hunting notes: Many hunters tailor their decoy spreads to attract mallards, as other puddle duck species are accustomed to seeing large numbers of mallards. In the spirit of conservation, many hunters selectively harvest males, called “greenheads” in the blind. Considered good table fare. Ecology: Mallards are believed to be a mid-western duck species that moved east with the rise of grain agriculture. Legs are positioned mid-body, which makes mallards good at walking on land. Omnivorous. Courtship displays in fall, winter, and spring. | Photo: Tom Reichner

American Black Duck Anas rubripes 23”, 2.4 # From the Field Guide: Dabbler. Structure like mallard but much darker with rich, dark-brown tones. Tend to breed in more forested wetlands and winter coastally. White underwing coverts contrast strongly with darker body plumage. Hunting notes: It’s easy to note the black duck’s dark plumage when they’re flying inside a group of mallards. Fewer black ducks have been showing up recently and bag limits reflect this; hunters can only take one black duck per day. Good table fare. Ecology: Black ducks have shown a significant long-term population decline, but there is some controversy about whether or not populations are still declining. Mallards compete with black ducks; they also hybridize with them. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula 18.5”, 1.9# From the Field Guide: Diving Duck. Stocky, flies in small groups. Deep wingbeats produce low, metallic whistle. Nests in tree cavities near ponds and winters in small flocks on bays, lakes, rivers. Hunting notes: Commonly called “whistlers” because the wing whistle can be heard from a long distance. This bird is often hunted on large lakes, where they raft in flocks of 100 or so, late into the season. Not bad table fare, but not as good as most of the puddle ducks. Ecology: This diving duck can find food in deeper waters, where it feeds on mollusks, invertebrates, and lake vegetation. Courtship displays are highly animated. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Bufflehead Bucephala albeola 13.5”, 13 oz. From the Field Guide: Diving Duck. Smallest duck; tiny, compact, and short billed. Usually silent. Nests in tree cavities and winters in small flocks on lakes and bays. Hunting notes: Colloquially called a “butterball” because it feeds very heavily and dramatically increases its body fat reserves in preparation for migration. Often seen with goldeneyes during the migration south. Very pretty duck whose details can be appreciated when held in hand. Ecology: A diving duck. Frequently uses cavities excavated by northern flickers. This species is most common in winter along the coast. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Green-winged Teal Anas crecca 14”, 12oz. From the Field Guide: Smallest dabbling duck. Round head, narrow bill, short body. Always shows clean buffy streak on undertail coverts. Likes shallow, muddy ponds. Hunting notes: Migratory flocks feature close-flying birds that swoop and turn like schools of fish. They descend very quickly and make dramatic flaring turns before splashing down between the decoys. A challenge to shoot. Teal make a great meal. Ecology: A sporadic breeder in the Northeast, green-winged teal are far more common in the west.Their populations are currently at an all-time high. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Blue-winged Teal Anas discors 15.5”, 13oz. From the Field Guide: Dabbler. Small, rather long bodied, long-billed. Found in shallow water with emergent vegetation. Conceals nest in overarching grass and cattails, female feigns injury in defense of young. Hunting notes: Because they travel so far, many move south before hunting season even starts in October. An early season mainstay of hunters in parts of the country that experience heavy migrations of this species, such as North Carolina and Texas. Ecology: Blue-winged Teal are long-distance migrants, with some birds heading all the way to South America for the winter.they choose ponds with high levels of aquatic invertebrates for nesting sites. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris 17”, 1.5# From the Field Guide: Diver. Compact, distinctive peaked head. Rises easily from water; flight erratic and twisting. Hunting notes: Ringnecks don’t really make any noise, so it’s common to have them materialize silently among your decoys without giving any warning at all. Many hunters call them “ringbills” after the light band surrounding the bill of both males and females. Ecology: Quite reclusive, preferring to breed and reside in wooded swamps and marshes that are difficult to get to. The faint brown ring around the neck is not obvious. Increasing as a breeding species in the Northeast. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Lesser Scaup Aythya marila From the Field Guide: Divers. Very difficult to discern between greater scaup and lesser scaup in field. Lesser has a taller, narrower head with narrower, straight-sided bill. Prefers sheltered ponds and bays. Hunting notes: A true diver duck, scaup raft in large flocks during migration. Commonly called “blue bill” by hunters. Serious hunters put out “gang-rigged” decoy spreads that include numerous species. Decoys are strung together on lines that funnel birds into the hunter’s gun. Fast flying, these are tough birds to shoot. Anyone can shoot a couple of mallards in a day, but it takes some scouting and studying of the divers to understand their behavior patterns, and where you need to be set up to even have a chance of seeing them. Ecology: In many places lesser scaup populations are declining, though both species are increasing in Vermont due to the proliferation of zebra mussels, which they eat. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus 18”, 1.4# From the Field Guide: Diving Duck. Smallest merganser; long bodied, long tailed, unique hammerhead crest. Wings produce high, cricket-like trill in flight. Prefer small, often wooded ponds. Hunting notes: Fun to watch, especially when they work in pairs to hunt baitfish. Mergansers are lousy tasting (fishy); even a dog turns her nose up at a merganser breast from the grill. Many hunters don’t shoot because they don’t want to have to eat them. Ecology: A very attractive bird. The merganser’s bill is specially shaped and toothed to catch fish. Its feet are far back on the body, making it a lousy walker but a terrific swimmer. Both males and females have a “hood,” actually a crest. Hooded mergansers are cavity nesters and will readily use nest boxes. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Common Merganser Mergus merganser 25”, 3.4# From the Field Guide: Diving Duck. Much larger than hooded. Prefers deep, clear lakes and rivers. Hunting notes: This one is easy to see in the spring because the male Common Merganser shows more white plumage than just about any other duck. Eats mostly fish and will be found on any water body with open water and fish. Terrible tasting. Ecology: Common mergansers frequently congregate around the ice edge as large lakes begin to freeze. In summer, they breed in rivers and small ponds, either in cavities or on the ground at the base of hollow trees. Wintering common merganser populations in Vermont are greater than breeding populations. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Northern Pintail Anas acuta 21”, 1.8# From the Field Guide: Dabbler. Fly in line formation. Like shallow ponds and marshes. Hunting notes: Not a very common duck in New England, though more are shot in New York. It is considered a real trophy to shoot a male pintail (called a bull sprig). Good eating. Ecology: This duck nests the farthest north of all species. Researchers once counted 14,914 feathers on a pintail. Populations have not rebounded from lows in the mid 1980s. | Photo: Tom Reichner

Wood Duck Aix sponsa 18.5”, 1.3# From the Field Guide: Small-billed, long-tailed, unmistakable plumage. Prefer sheltered water with trees. Hunting notes: In the bad old days when many riparian forests were destroyed and cavity trees were lost, populations plummeted. Today, thanks to wiser land use and nest box programs, this duck is again the mainstay of hunters of beaver flows, creeks, and rivers all over New England and New York. The call of the duck is one of the most eerie sounds in the swamp woods. Excellent table fare. Ecology: It is a perching duck that can land in trees. It has the most varied diet, including fruit, seeds, acorns, and invertebrates. Nests in tree cavities and nesting boxes by ponds and lazy rivers with good riparian forest habitat. | Photo: Tom Reichner

by Dave Mance III

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Ducks, Beautiful Ducks: A Portfolio of Pintails, Woodies, and Butterballs

Beautiful Ducks Gallery

by Dave Mance III

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