Duck I.D.

[ga. prime]

Today I saw a formation of 12 or so ducks swimming(paddling) on one of my ponds (which is about 5ft. low due to the prolonged drought) that I couldn't identify. They would swim around and dive in unison, stay down for 2 or 3 seconds, come up swim 2 or 3 seconds, dive 2 or 3 seconds, and so forth. I looked at them through binoculars from 200-300 yards or so and the males were a very dark color with white cheeks and white breasts. Females a brownish shade. Interesting thing was, once in a while they would make the feathers stand up on the top of their heads. What are they, are they worth eating, and what are they diving for?

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Probably hooded mergansers. Folks in Tenn. might eat them, but I wouldn't. :lol: If you can get a drake and a hen mounted on driftwood it makes for a very nice mount. They are primarily animal matter eaters as opposed to plant /grain eaters, so they were probably "fishing". Their duckbill/beak is quite a bit different than a normal duck -- appears longer, thinner and with serrations.


Do they look anything like this:

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i1310id.html

 

[Beefy]

i had three of the the birds AZ is talking about last winter.

 

[ga. prime]

I think you nailed it AZ. Thanks for the help.