WATERFOWL IDENTIFICATION Agriscience 381 Wildlife and Recreation Management #8985-E TEKS: (c)(3)(B)

WATERFOWL IDENTIFICATION

Agriscience 381

Wildlife and Recreation Management

#8985-E

TEKS: (c)(3)(B)

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Parts of Waterfowl

• Identification Factors

• Administrative Waterfowl Flyways

• Waterfowl Classification and Identification

Introduction

Both hunters and birdwatchers have an interest in waterfowl.

For the hunter, quick recognition allows taking of species with higher bag limits.

Since birders do not take waterfowl, correct identification allows accurate recording of sightings.

Parts of the Waterfowl

Ducks and geese have basically the same anatomy.

Knowledge of their parts aids identification.

The color of the head and wings, as well as the shape of the head, makes it possible to identify the species.

As with many birds, the males are often more colorful than the females.

Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Parts of the Waterfowl

Surface of Duck Wing

Upper Surface Under Surface

Identification Factors

Ducks are harder to identify than geese.

Ducks fly faster with a faster wing beat.

Also, color markings on geese are simpler than ducks.

The four factors that help identify ducks are:

• flock pattern,

• silhouettes,

• color areas, and

• sound.

Flock Patterns

Three typical flock patterns are waving lines to temporary V’s, small compact bunches, and follow-the-leader formation.

Different species use different patterns.

Waving Line to Temporary V Pattern

Small, Compact Bunches

Follow-the-Leader Formation

Silhouette

A silhouette is the outline of a duck’s features.

Silhouettes are helpful during the early morning hours.

Sound

Sound is more than the way ducks quack.

Ducks can also whistle, squeal, or grunt.

Their sound in flight also can be used to identify species.

Color

Color can be a difficult way to identify ducks because of their fast flight.

It leaves little time to identify and then shoot.

With practice, key color areas, size, and location can make identification easier.

Plumage color and shape are two keys to correct identification.

Drakes have brighter color patterns than hens.

Most ducks molt twice a year.

Eclipse plumage is a condition when the drake molts and carries hen-like plumage.

Administrative Waterfowl Flyways

Four flyways cross the United States in a north-south direction:

Texas is in the Central Flyway.

A flyway is a migration path common to both ducks and geese.

Flyways allow for management of waterfowl by flyway councils.

Photo by Gary Stolz courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Waterfowl Classification and Identification

In this presentation, waterfowl will be grouped as follows:

• Tree ducks

• Surface-feeding ducks

• Diving ducks

• Geese

• Other migratory game birds

• Non-game waterfowl

Tree Ducks

Tree ducks have long pink legs and erect necks.

The sound of their voice gives them the name “whistling ducks.”

Two species of tree ducks are:• Black-bellied tree duck, and

• Fulvous tree duck.

Black-bellied Tree Duck Dendrocygna autumnalisBlack-bellied tree ducks have a white head with a rusty crest and a black belly.

The upper wings have prominent white feathering.

They nest in tree cavities or in marsh areas.

Photo by Bob Stratton courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Fulvous Tree Duck Dendrocygna bicolorThe fulvous tree duck has a broad creamy stripe on the side and a white ring at the tail base.

While the black-bellied species will roost in trees, the fulvous species will not roost in trees.

Instead, it prefers grass or marsh areas.

Photo by Glen Smart courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photo by Donna Dewhurst courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Surface-Feeding Ducks

Also known as puddle ducks, surface-feeding ducks prefer shallow water habitat.

They are good divers, but prefer to feed on vegetation by dabbling or tipping.

When they take flight, they launch themselves directly upward.

Below are the surface-feeding ducks discussed in this presentation.• Mallard

• Pintail

• Black duck

• Widgeons

• Shovelers

• Teals

• Gadwall

• Wood duck

Mallard Anas platyrhynchosThe mallard is a common duck identifiable by its green head and narrow white collar.

It is grayish with a purplish-brown breast.

The hen is mottled brown with a whitish tail.

They may reach 24 inches and weigh 2 ¾ pounds.

Photo by Dave Menke courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photo by Gene Nieminen courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Pintail Anas Acuta

The pintail is easily recognized by the needle point tail, or sprig.

The white on the breast extends to a point on the side of the pintail’s head.

The sprig of the female is modified and prevents easy identification.

Females are mottled brown with white on outer borders of secondaries.

Photo by Peter Mickelson courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Black Duck Anas rubripes

The white wing linings of black ducks are visible in flight.

Wings have a metallic violet patch, while the body is sooty-brown and the head is gray-brown.

Black ducks and mallards are often seen together.


Widgeons

There are two species of widgeons, the European widgeon (Anas penelope) and the American widgeon (Anas americana).

Both have pale blue bills with black tips.

Female widgeons can be confused with gadwall and pintail species.

Their fast, nervous flight resembles that of a pigeon.

American Widgeon


European Widgeon

Photo by Lee Karney courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Shoveler (Spoonbills) Spatula clypeataShovelers are small puddle ducks.

They get their name from their spoon-shaped bill.

Males are black and white with blackish-green heads and a pale blue patch on the forewing.

Females are mottled brown with large, pale blue wing patches.



Teals

Teals are the smallest of puddle ducks with a 14 to 15 ounce body that measures only 16 inches in length.

There are three species of teal:

• blue-winged teal,

• cinnamon teal, and

• green-winged teal.

Blue-winged Teal Anas discors

Blue-winged teal have a white crescent in front of their eyes and a large chalky-blue patch on the forewings.

Females are mottled brown and also have the large blue patch on the forewings.



Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera

Cinnamon teal are dark cinnamon-red in color. They have a chalky-blue patch on the fore edge of wings.

The female is mottled brown with a pale blue wing patch.



Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis

Green-winged teal males are gray with brown heads that have a green patch in sunlight.

They have a white mark in front of the wings and a creamy-colored patch towards the tail.

The female is speckled. Both male and female have an iridescent green speculum.


Photo by Jessie Achtenberg courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Gadwall Anas strepera

Large gadwall populations exist in the Central Flyway.

They are referred to as “gray mallards” because of their size and color pattern.

Gadwalls are one of the first species to migrate and do not like cold weather.

They are the only puddle duck with a white speculum. Their bodies are gray with black rumps.



Wood Duck Aix sponsaWood ducks are the most highly colored ducks in North America.

Males have a crested head with strange face patterns.

They perch in trees and can fly through timber with great speed.

They eat acorns, berries, and grapes.

There are fewer wood ducks in the Central Flyway than in other flyways.



Diving Ducks

Diving ducks prefer deep water habitats.

Their wing patches lack the brilliance of the puddle ducks.

They will dive rapidly to escape danger.

When they take to flight, they will “run” across the surface of the water.

Diving ducks use their huge feet as rudders in flight.

They eat fish, mollusks, and aquatic plants, giving their meat a less-desired flavor than meat from puddle ducks.

The species below are identified in this presentation of diving ducks.• Canvasback

• Ring-necked

• Redhead

• Scaup

• Goldeneyes

• Bufflehead

• Mergansers

• Ruddy

• Scoter

Canvasback Aythya valisineria

The canvasback male has a white back from which it gets its name.

Its head and neck are rusty in color and the breast is black.

Females are grayish in color with a hint of red on the head and neck.

Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photo by Eugene Hester courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris

Ring-necks have a white ring on their bills and males have a faint brown ring on their necks.

Ring-necks winter through most of Texas, avoiding the northern Panhandle.

Ring-neck males have a black back, head, and chest. Females are brown and have white eye-rings.

Photo by Dick Paspahala courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Redhead Duck Aythya americana

Redhead drakes have a chestnut-colored head, black breast, and gray back.

Hens are brownish in color.

Both have a black tip on their bills.

This species migrates south to winter along coastal bays of South Texas.

They may migrate to Mexico and as far as the West Indies.

Photo by Dick Pospahala courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Scaup

Two species of scaup are found in Texas, the greater scaup (Aythya marila) and the lesser scaup (Aythya affinis).

They migrate late, just before freeze-up.

The color of both species is nearly the same, with size being the main reason for the difference in names.

The greater scaup appears black at head and tail ends.

Its head is glossed with green.

The middle is white and the back is barred.

The greater scaup has a longer band of white on the wing than does the lesser scaup.

Greater Scaup



The more numerous lesser scaup is similar in color to the greater scaup.

It has a dull purple gloss to the head and a shorter white band on the wing.

The female is brown. It has a broad white stripe on the wing and white at the base of the bill.

Lesser Scaup



Goldeneyes

There are two species of goldeneyes found in Texas, the American goldeneye, also called common goldeneye, and the Barrow’s goldeneye.

American Goldeneye(Common) Bucephala clangulaThe common goldeneye male is white with a black back and blackish-green head.

A large white patch before the eye is distinguishing.

The common goldeneye shows larger white patches on the wing than the Barrow’s goldeneye.



Barrow’s Goldeneye The Barrow’s goldeneye is similar in color to the common goldeneye.

The white spot before the eyes on drakes is larger on the Barrow’s species.



Bufflehead Bucephala albeola

The bufflehead is one of the smallest ducks.

Buffleheads are mostly white with a black back and head which has a large white patch that extends from the eye around the back of the head.

Unlike other diving ducks, the bufflehead can fly straight up to take flight.



Mergansers

Mergansers have spike-like bills with toothed mandibles to catch fish.

The three species of mergansers are the common merganser, the red-breasted merganser, and the hooded merganser.

Common Merganser Mergus merganserThe common merganser is the largest of the mergansers.

The bill and feet are red.

Male mergansers have white bodies with black backs and green-black heads.

Females have crested gray heads.

Photo by John & Karen Hollingsworth courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serratorThe red-breasted merganser prefers coastal areas.

The male has a greenish-black crested head, a wide white collar, a rusty-colored breast at the waterline and red bill and feet.

Females are gray with large, square, white wing patches.



Hooded Merganser Laphodytes cucullatusThe hooded merganser prefers inland waters.

The male has a black back and head which has a white crest.

The breast is white with two vertical black bars. The flanks are brownish colored.

Photo by Tim McCabe courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensisThe ruddy duck is the only duck specie that will cock its tail upward like a wren.

The male may be a rusty or gray color with a black or dark cap depending on season.

It has white cheeks and a blue bill.

Females are gray with light cheeks that have a dark line.



Scoter

There are three species of scoter ducks, which are all sea ducks.

They rarely visit Texas, but can sometimes be seen along the coast in the winter.

The three species of scoters are the white-winged scoter, the surf scoter, and the common scoter.

White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandiMale white-winged scoters are a dark, coal-black duck, with a white patch on the rear edge of the wing.

A small spot of white may show just below the eye and the bill is orange with a black knob.

Females are sooty-brown with a white wing patch and light head patches.


Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillataMale surf scoters are black, with one or two white patches on the crown and back of the head.

The bill is a combination of orange, black, and white.

The female surf scoter is a light brown with two light spots on the face.

Common Scoter Oidemia nigra

The common scoter male is entirely black with a bright yellow-orange knob at the base of its bill.

The female is a sooty color. The head is darker on top with lighter cheeks.

Geese

Geese are larger than ducks.

They fly in a V-formation and are very vocal.

Geese do not exhibit eclipse plumage and both sexes look alike.

They feed largely on grain and stubble fields.

The species of geese listed below are discussed in this presentation.• Canada Goose

• White-fronted Goose

• Snow Goose

• Blue Goose

• Brant

• Ross’ Goose

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

The Canada goose is the largest of the geese, weighing about 12 pounds.

Their loud vocal sound gives them the nickname “honkers.”

Canada geese are grayish-brown with a light-colored breast.

The head and neck are black with a white mark on the side of the head.

Photo by Gary Stolz courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons

The white-fronted goose is often referred to as a “specklebelly.”

Its legs are bright orange or yellow, unlike other goose species.

White-fronted geese tend to stay in the Central and Pacific flyways.

The white-fronted goose is a gray-brown color with irregular black bars on the belly. It has a pink bill and white patch on the front of its face. Photo courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Snow Goose Chen caerulescens There are two sub-species of snow geese, the greater snow goose and the lesser snow goose.

The greater snow goose migrates along the Atlantic Coast.

The lesser snow goose populates the rest of the continent.

Snow geese are white with black wing tips and sometimes have a rusty color on their heads.



Blue Goose Chen caerulescens

The blue goose is believed by many to be only a color phase of the lesser snow goose.

They associate with the lesser snow goose and their vocal sound is exactly like the lesser snow goose.

The blue goose is dark with a white head and neck.

Brant Branta bernicla

The brant is about the size of a mallard and prefers the coastal areas.

The black brant and the Atlantic brant are the only true varieties of brant.

The brant has a black neck with a small white streak on the side.

The white lower abdominal area contrasts the dark brownish-gray body and is very noticeable when the brant upends.

Photo by Peter Mickelson courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photo by Don Becker courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ross’ Goose Chen rossii

The Ross’ goose is also mallard-size and similar in appearance to the larger snow goose, except without the black “lips.”

It is a casual visitor to Texas, preferring California for its winter grounds.


Other Migratory Game Birds

Seasons, shooting hours, and bag limits are set for other waterfowl besides ducks and geese.

Sandhill cranes, coots, woodcocks, and snipes are late season migratory game birds.

All are edible and considered very tasty.

Always consult current hunting regulations for identified seasons.

If a species does not have an identified season, it is an illegal game bird.

Below is a list of other migratory game birds shown in this presentation.• Coots

• Sandhill Cranes

• Woodcock

• Snipe

• Rails

• Gallinules

Coot Fulica americana

The American coot has a larger population and a higher bag limit than other legal waterfowl.

Photo by Gary Kramer courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis

Sandhill cranes require special attention prior to hunting season. Hunting zones vary in length of season and no season exists in parts of Texas.


Photo by John & Karen Hollingsworth courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Woodcock Philohela minor

Photo by Richard Baetson courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


Wilson’s Snipe (Common) Capella gallinago

Photo by Gary Kramer courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photo by W. F. Kubichek courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Rails

The following rails have hunting seasons in Texas:

• King Rail,

• Clapper Rail,

• Virginia Rail, and

• Sora Rail

King Rail (Rallus elegans)

Photo by Jim Rathert courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris)

Sora (Porzana carolina)


Photo by Robert Hines courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Galluniles (Moorhens)Two species of galluniles have seasons in Texas.

• Common Gallinule

• Purple Gallinule

Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus

Photo by Jim Rathert courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Non-Game Waterfowl

More than ducks and geese inhabit marsh and coastal areas.

These waterfowl species, which include threatened and endangered species, have little or no food value. They serve mainly as predators or scavengers and benefit humans through their aesthetic value.

Some species such as the whooping crane, pelican, and cormorant are illegal to hunt.

These species mostly benefit birdwatchers.

Below are the species shown in this presentation.• Whooping Crane

• Pelican

• Cormorant

Whooping Crane Grus americanaThe whooping crane winters in Texas and is one of the rarest North American bird species.


Photo by Steve Hillebrand courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalisBrown pelicans

can often be seen perched on posts or boats and flying in lines very close to the water. Unlike the white pelican, the brown pelican can plunge bill first into the water.

Photo by Dean Biggins courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


CormorantThere are two species of cormorants which may be found in Texas.

It is difficult to distinguish the two species when they are not seen together.

Most likely, the double- crested cormorant is the one seen inland, while the Mexican cormorant resides mainly along the coast.

Double-crested Cormorant


Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus


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Texas A&M University

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College Station, Texas 77843-2588

http://www-ims.tamu.edu 2006

WATERFOWL IDENTIFICATION Agriscience 381 Wildlife and Recreation Management #8985-E TEKS: (c)(3)(B)

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