Chart: In bright light or half-light, know your ducks

  • Article by: DENNIS ANDERSON , Star Tribune
  • Updated: September 18, 2011 - 12:03 AM
hide

Mallard

Photo: Special to the Star Tribune, Bill Marchel

CameraStar Tribune photo galleries

Cameraview larger

  • share

    email

MALLARD

Plumed, male's neck ring divides green head from chestnut-brown chest. Speculum: violet-blue bordered by black and white. Bill yellow to yellowish-green. Legs: orange-ish; generally indistinguishable from hens. Hens: brownish with violet speculum bordered by black and white. Head crown dark brown surrounded by lighter brown. Bill: orange with brown splotches. Legs, feet: orange. Dabbles to eat. Appears larger in flight. Often flies before sunup.

RING-NECKED DUCK

Appear similar to scaup (bluebills), except that males have distinctive white bill markings and uniformly dark upper wings. Hen ringnecks resemble hen redheads but are smaller, with a peaked, angular head and pale region around the face. Bill ringed, like males. Diving duck. Flies in small knots. Might land without circling.

WOOD DUCK

Males wildly colored, with most plumed by opener. Even if not plumed, males identified by their head crests. Iris is red. Legs and feet: straw yellow. Females have smaller crest. Distinctive white teardrop patch surrounds brownish-black eye. Bill is gray; legs and feet, dull grayish-yellow. Dabbles. Distinctive wing beat in flight.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL

Males: Black-edged white crescent in front of eyes (when fully plumed, otherwise sexes are similar in appearance). Most upper wing coverts are blue-gray; secondaries form iridescent green speculum. Bill: black. Underwing: whitish. Females: brown-gray heads with darker crown and eye stripe. Upper wing coverts are bluish but duller than drakes. Bill: gray-black. Legs, feet: dull, yellow-brown. Small in flight, and fast. Often appear in fast, tight knots.

 

  • related content

  • 00305-019.08 Ring-necked Duck (DIGITAL) flock of three in flight again...

  • Wood duck

  • Blue-winged teal

  • get related content delivered to your inbox

  • manage my email subscriptions
  • share

    email

Click here to send us your prize catch – and to see what others are catching on the region's waters.

ADVERTISEMENT

Philadelphia - LP: K. Kendrick 2 FINAL
Washington - WP: J. Zimmermann 5
Baltimore - WP: C. Tillman 10 FINAL
Toronto - LP: S. Nolin 6
Minnesota - LP: S. Deduno 0 FINAL
Detroit - WP: A. Sanchez 6
Atlanta 5 Suspended
NY Mets 5
Chicago Cubs - LP: S. Feldman 4 FINAL
Cincinnati - WP: B. Arroyo 7
Cleveland - LP: J. Masterson 1 FINAL
Boston - WP: J. Lackey 8
NY Yankees - WP: D. Phelps 9 FINAL
Tampa Bay - LP: R. Hernandez 4
Pittsburgh - LP: A. Burnett 1 FINAL
Milwaukee - WP: M. Estrada 2
Miami - LP: R. Webb 3 FINAL
Chicago WSox - WP: N. Jones 4
LA Angels - WP: J. Vargas 5 FINAL
Kansas City - LP: L. Hochevar 2
Oakland - WP: P. Neshek 6 FINAL
Houston - LP: J. Veras 5
San Diego - LP: E. Stults 2 FINAL
Arizona - WP: B. McCarthy 5
St. Louis - WP: L. Lynn 7 FINAL
Los Angeles - LP: C. Capuano 0
Texas - WP: J. Grimm 9 FINAL
Seattle - LP: J. Saunders 5
Colorado - WP: T. Chatwood 5 FINAL
San Francisco - LP: T. Lincecum 0
Indiana 97 FINAL
Miami 93
Ottawa 2 FINAL
Pittsburgh 6
Indiana 79 FINAL
San Antonio 64
Connect with twitterConnect with facebookConnect with Google+Connect with PinterestConnect with PinterestConnect with RssfeedConnect with email newsletters

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

question of the day

Poll: Do you favor Minnesota's managed wolf hunt?

Weekly Question

ADVERTISEMENT

 
Close