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Birdwatching
with Phyllis Yochem
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Tuesday, November 21, 2000
Migrating ducks may fly into the Coastal Bend in the coming weeks
Late fall is a great time to review ducks because this is when they are likely to visit the Coastal Bend. The ducks may be difficult to identify because they are wearing a dull-colored coat of feathers called the eclipse plumage. These feathers signify that the ducks have recently completed their breeding season.
Many ducks - like the blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal - are arriving and can be found at Hans and Pat Suter's wildlife area. A few ducks, inluding mottled, ruddy and black-bellied whistling ducks, live here year-round but you probably will be able to spot them among the visiting species. The following is a guide to help you identify the various species.
Visiting Ducks
One of the first species to arrive is a small, brown duck called the blue-winged teal. The male blue-winged teal is clearly marked with a white crescent moon set in his face. Following close behind are green-winged teals that wear green eyepatches set in chestnut heads. The cinnamon teal is easily identified by its all over, deep cinnamon color.
Northern shovelers are handsome ducks with out-sized bills. They are early arrivers but they get here while they are still wearing the eclipse plumage. You can tell they are northern shovelers because of the size of their bill. Don't be fooled by the pale, crescent on the face that is similar to the cresecent on the face of the blue-winged teal. When the males are in full plumage, they are distinctively dressed with a green head, white breast and chestnut brown sides.
The northern pintail male wears a chocolate brown head on top of a long, slender, white neck that extends into the head. Black feathers extend far beyond the rest of the long, wedge shaped tail.
Gadwalls are gray ducks that have white bellies, black tail coverts and pale chestnut coloring on their wings.
Canvasbacks have distinctively shaped heads; the foreheads appear to slope into long, black bills. The canvasback has a whitish body and a chestnut head. They are more difficult to find than other birds so look for them in Rockport in the lake behind Key Allegro Island.
Redheads have a color similar to canvasbacks except the redheads bodies are much grayer. Redheads are also more common than canvasbacks.
Lesser scaup are black above and white below. If seen in a good light, the head may show a purple gloss. There is little chance to confuse it with a greater scaup because they seldom visit this area.
The male American wigeon's white forehead and cap are conspicuous in fields and marshes where they are searching for food. Hunters sometimes refer to the American Wigeon as "baldpates.''
Some winter specials are red-breasted mergansers, bufflehead, and common goldeneye. Also from time to time you may see a ring-necked duck.
Local Ducks
Although many ducks are visiting the Coastal Bend there are some species that live here year round. These ducks include the mottled, black-bellied whistling and ruddy ducks.
Male and female mottled ducks are large and brownish in color. They are considered by some to be a subspecies of the mallard, which is not found here. The mottled ducks breed, beginning in January and they are usually seen in pairs inside roadside ditches.
Black-bellied whistling ducks, unlike the fulvous whistling ducks, have thrived here for many years. Black-bellieds are a colorful version of the fulvous, with gray heads, tawny colored chests and black bellies. They have eye-rings and bright pink bills, legs and feet.
Several ruddy ducks live here but others often migrate to this area. During the breeding plumage the male wears a rich chestnut color on his body. A stiff, upright tail also is a distinguishing feature.
Phyllis Yochem, a Corpus Christi
resident, has studied birds of Texas since 1960.
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