Waterfowl: An Overview of Ducks, Geese, and Swans

1. Waterfowl – What they are and are not Great variety in sizes, shapes, colors All have webbed feet and bills Sibley reading is great for lots of facts and insights into the group

2. Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae – Subfamily Dendrocygninae – Subfamily Anserinae – Subfamily Anatinae -

3. Handout • Indicates those species occurring regularly in ID Ducks = Geese = Swans =

4. What separates the 3 groups? Ducks - Geese - Swan -

5. What separates the 3 groups? Ducks – Geese – Swan –

6. Non-waterfowl Cranes, rails – Coots – Grebes – Loons – Woodcock and snipe – These are not on handout but are managed by USFWS as are waterfowl

7. On handout: Subfamily Dendrocygninae – Occur along gulf coast and Florida

8. On handout: Subfamily Anserinae – geese and swans Tribe Cygnini – Tribe Anserini –

9. On handout: Subfamily Anatinae – ducks, with 4 tribes Tribe Anatini – Tribe Aythyini – Tribe Mergini – Tribe Oxyurini –

10. Swans - Cygnini Trumpeter swan and tundra swan Monogamous: Territory for nesting: Feed:

11. Swans: Largest waterfowl but how much do they weigh? Tundra swan – Trumpeter swan – Long-lived species – sexually mature at: Tundra – Trumpeter –

12. Swans: Both species lay 4-5 eggs, only female incubates, 31-33 days Very high nest success – 90% Why is nest success so high?

13. Swans – differences between species: Voice, yellow spot in front of eye of Tundra sometimes Tundra – very social outside breeding season – 1000’s, Trumpeter in small groups – 20-50 Hunted?

14. Geese - Tribe Anserini All show several similarities:

15. Geese - Anserini Migratory: During fall and winter the family unit stays together and in larger flocks Winter behavior:

16. Canada Goose – Branta canadensis 11 subspecies – large or small, dark These 5 are small and light B.c. leucopareia Aleutian 4 lbs small B.c. minima Cackling 2.8-3.4 small B.c. hutchinsii Richardson’s 4 small B.c. taverneri Taverner’s 4.7-5.9 small B.c. parvipes Lesser 5-6 small

17. Large subspecies B.c. canadensis Atlantic 6.8-8.8 B.c. interior Todd’s 7-9 B.c. occidentalis Dusky 8-9 dark B.c. fulva Vancouver 8-9 dark B.c. moffitti Western 8-10 B.c. maxima Giant 11-12

18. Why are these subspecies important?

19. Canada Goose - Ecology Monogamous: Breeding: Mortality: Grazing:

20. Canada goose (cont.) Pairing: Territorial: Nesting: Predators of eggs: Incubation: Renesting: Goslings:

21. Subfamily Anatinae – Ducks Tribe Anatini – Only 2 genera in North America

22. Tribe Anatini - Dabblers Dabblers all spring up off the water or land to fly All dabble, or tip up, to feed, but many also feed on land Rarely dive but can

23. Dabblers vs others DabblersOthers Legs: Feed: Hind toe: Foot: Speculum: Tail: Take off:

24. Dabblers Most field guides have the speculum much too visible for the bird at rest Most field guides also have divers and sea ducks sitting too high in the water

25. Aix sponsa – wood duck Also called a perching duck –

26. Anas Highly social: All migratory: Winter: Forage: Nest: Pairs:

27. Anas (cont.) All incubate 21-27 days, young fly at 38-70 days Teal, green and blue-winged lay 8-11 eggs Cinnamon teal lays 7-12 eggs Northern pintail lays 6-9 eggs, often nests far from water Mallard lays 7-10 eggs, largest population in NA

28. Tribe Aythyini – diving ducks or pochards (5 species):Genus Aythya All dive for food Nest: Sex ratios: Mating system: Male Parental Care:

29. Aythya Divide water area by depths and foods Redhead 3-4 feet, eats more plants Canvasback 3-6 feet, eats plants, inverts

30. Aythya Divide water area by depths and foods Redhead 3-4 feet, eats more plants Canvasback 3-6 feet, eats plants, inverts Ring-necked duck <6 ft, eats more snails, inverts Greater scaup 6-15 ft, eats clams, often marine Lesser scaup 10-40 ft, eats clams, inverts, snails

31. Aythya Brood behavior when threatened: Divers vs dabblers Dabblers - ? Divers -?

32. Aythya Brood behavior when threatened: Divers vs dabblers Dabblers – Divers -

33. Redhead is a brood parasite Female uses one of three strategies:

34. Tribe Mergini – sea ducks Eiders, mergansers, scoters, goldeneyes, harlequin duck, long-tailed duck, bufflehead

35. Mergini (cont.) Eiders Eiders are marine ducks of the arctic, rarely reaching coasts of lower 48 states except common eider on Atlantic coast to NJ king eider to WA and OR

36. Mergini (cont.) Scoters Scoters – pelagic, Atlantic and Pacific populations black scoter, surf scoter, white-winged scoter Eat mollusks, crustaceans, inverts, some seeds Lay 5-9 eggs, broods fly at 50-75 days, form creches

37. Mergini (cont.) Mergansers Sawbills, eat fish, sex ratio favors males (64-67%) breed at 2 years Hooded merganser – nests in cavities Red-breasted merganser – nests on ground, sometimes in burrows, or tree cavities Common merganser – nests in cavities, ground, will sometimes scavenge dead fish

38. Mergini (cont.) - Goldeneyes Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bufflehead all genus Bucephala All breed at 2 years, nest in cavities, eat inverts and mollusks

39. Mergini (cont.) - Long-tailed duck Only member of genus Clangula in world Deepest diving duck – over 200 feet Formerly called oldsquaw Eats inverts, crustaceans, mollusks, fish Outside of the breeding season, it is rarely inland, but stays on coasts

40. Mergini (cont.) – Harlequin duck Only member of this genus Histrionicus in world nests along fast moving streams and rocky coasts Walks on bottom, eats crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic invertebrates

41. Tribe Oxyurini – Stiff-tailed Ducks 8 species worldwide, one in NA – ruddy duck long, stiff tail Large bills, clumsy on land, nest over water Very large egg for size of bird, 6-8, will parasitize each other and redheads Eat aquatic inverts, snail, plants in winter

42. The End Waterfowl are wonderful!