Color Key to North American Birds / with bibliographical appendix

by Frank M. Chapman

146. Redhead (Aythya americana). L. 19. Ad. ♂. Head and upper neck entirely bright reddish brown. Ad. ♀. Throat white; back grayish brown without fine bars; speculum gray. Notes. "A hoarse guttural rolling sound." (Elliot.) Range.—North America; breeds chiefly in interior from Maine, Minnesota, and California north to Labrador and British Columbia; winters from British Columbia and Maryland south to Lower California and West Indies. 147. Canvas-back (Aythya vallisneria). L. 21. Ad. ♂. Head and whole neck dull reddish brown. Ad. ♀. Head and neck rusty grayish brown; back grayish brown, finely barred with black and white. Notes. "A harsh guttural croak." (Elliot.) Range.—North America; breeds only in interior from Minnesota and Oregon north to Alaska and the Barren Grounds; winters from British Columbia and Maryland south to southern California, Mexico and West Indies. 148. American Scaup Duck (Aythya marila). L. ♂, 18.5; ♀, 17.5. Ad. ♂. Head glossed with greenish; sides without distinct black bars. Ad. ♀. Feathers about base of bill white; breast and back rusty grayish brown; speculum white. Notes. "Similar to the guttural sound made by the Canvas-back, Redhead and other diving Ducks." (Elliot.) Range.—Northern parts of northern hemisphere; in America, breeds in the interior rarely from Minnesota, and regularly from North Dakota northward; winters from Long Island to northern South America. 149. Lesser Scaup Duck (Aythya affinis). L. ♂ 17; ♀, 16.5. Ad. ♂. Head glossed with purplish; sides with distinct black bars. Ad. ♀. Similar to ♀ of No. 148, but smaller. Range.—North America; breeds only in interior from Iowa rarely, North Dakota commonly, and British Columbia, north to Barren Grounds; winters from British Columbia and Virginia south to Guatemala and West Indies. 150. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris). L. 16.5. Ad. ♂. A chestnut neck-ring; chin white; back black; speculum gray. Ad. ♀. Feathers about sides of base of bill and throat white, back and breast rusty grayish brown; speculum gray. Resembles ♀ of [No. 146], but is smaller and rustier. Range.—North America: breeding only in the interior from Minnesota northward; winters from Maryland and British Columbia south to Guatemala and West Indies; rare on Atlantic coast north of Maryland.

151. American Golden-eye (Clangula clangula americana). L. 20. Ad. ♂. Head greenish; white patch at base of bill circular. Ad. ♀. Head and throat brown; breast and back gray, a white throat-ring; belly and speculum white. Notes. Rarely a low croak; a high whistling sound produced by wings in flight. Range.—North America; breeds from Maine, northern Minnesota, and Alberta, north to Arctic Regions; winters from southern Alaska, the Great Lakes and Maine, south to Mexico and Cuba. 152. Barrow Golden-eye (Clangula islandica). L. 20. Ad. ♂. Head purplish blue; white patch at base of bill twice as high as wide. Ad. ♀. Resembles ♀ of No. 151. Notes. A high whistling made by wings in flight, probably also a low croaking as in No. 151. Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Gulf of St. Lawrence, and mountains of Colorado north to southern Greenland; winters south to Virginia, Illinois, and California. 153. Buffle-head (Charitonetta albeola). L. 14.7. Ad. ♂. Head blue, purple, and green; a white band from eye to eye across nape. Ad. ♀. A whitish patch on either side of head; throat and upper parts grayish brown; belly and speculum white. Notes. A single guttural note like a small edition of the Canvas-back's roll. (Elliot.) Range.—North America; breeds from Maine, Iowa, and British Columbia northward; winters from southern limit of breeding range to West Indies and Mexico. 167. Ruddy Duck (Erismatura jamaicensis). L. 15. Tail-feathers narrow and stiff; bill short (1.5) and broad. Ad. ♂. Cheeks white, cap black, back reddish brown. Ad. ♀. A whitish streak through dusky cheeks; back grayish brown with fine buffy bars; belly silvery whitish. Yng. ♂. Similar, but cheeks all white or whitish. Range.—Western hemisphere from northern South America to Hudson Bay; breeds locally throughout its range, but chiefly northward; winters from New Jersey, southern Illinois and California southward. 168. Masked Duck (Nomonyx dominicus). L. 14. Tail-feathers long, (4.5) narrow, stiff and pointed. Ad. ♂. Front of head black; behind it reddish brown all around; white in wing. Ad. ♀. A brownish streak through eye: buffy streaks above and below it; back blackish regularly barred with buff; below washed with rusty. Range—Tropical America north to Lower Rio Grande; accidental in Wisconsin, Lake Champlain, and Massachusetts.

154. Old-squaw (Harelda hyemalis). L. ♂, 21; ♀, 16; T. ♂, 8; ♀, 2.5. No colored speculum. Ad. ♂. Central tail-feathers much lengthened; in winter, crown, nape, throat, and neck all around white. In summer, black, with rusty markings on back. Ad. ♀. winter. Cheeks, neck all around, and underparts white; breast and sides of neck dusky. In summer, crown, cheeks and nape blackish, throat and breast dusky; a whitish patch back of eye. Notes. In spring, a rich, musical a-leedle-a, frequently repeated in deep, reed-like tones. (Nelson.) Also "o-onc-o-onc-ough-egh-ough-egh." (Mackay.) Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds from northern Labrador and Aleutian Islands north to Arctic Ocean; winters south to Virginia, Upper Mississippi Valley, and California, "rarely to Florida and Texas." 155. Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus). L. 17. Ad. ♂. Back and breast slaty blue; head darker. Ad. ♀. Front half of cheeks and spot over ears whitish, above blackish brown; below dusky and whitish. Notes. "A confusion of low gabbling and chattering notes." (Nelson.) Range.—"Northern North America, breeding from Newfoundland, the northern Rocky Mountains, and the Sierra Nevadas (latitude 38°), northward; south in winter to the Middle States and California; eastern Asia, Iceland." (A. O. U.) 156. Labrador Duck (Camptolaimus labradorius). L. 20. Ad. ♂. Primaries blackish; rest of wing white. Ad. ♀. Ashy gray: speculum white. Yng. ♂. Like ♀ but throat and ends of greater wing-coverts white. Range.—Formerly North Atlantic coast; bred from Labrador northward; wintered south to New Jersey; believed to be extinct; last records, Grand Menan, New Brunswick, 1871; Long Island, 1875. 157. Steller Eider (Eniconetta stelleri). L. 18. Ad. ♂. Throat and neck black nearly divided by a white ring; top and sides of head white, forehead and nape greenish; breast chestnut. Ad. ♀. Above and below black and rusty, speculum purple bordered with white; tail feathers pointed. Range.—"Arctic and subarctic coasts of the northern hemisphere, Aleutian Islands, east to Unalaska and Kadiak; Kenai Peninsula." (A. O. U.)

158. Spectacled Eider (Arctonetta fischeri). L. 21. Ad. ♂. Front of head plush-like; cushiony pads around eyes; above largely white; breast slaty black; belly black. Range.—"Alaskan coast of Bering Sea and north to Point Barrow." (A. O. U.) 159. Greenland Eider (Somateria mollissima borealis). L. 23. Feathers on sides of bill reaching to nostrils, bare spaces on either side of feathers on culmen pointed at base (posteriorly.) Ad. ♂. Crown black with a white wedge. Ad. ♀. Brownish black above margined with rusty and buff; below dusky finely margined with buff. Yng. ♂. Similar to ♀ but more buffy. Notes. "A sort of cooing sound" in the breeding season. (Elliot.) A raucous, moaning, 'ha ho, 'ha ho; female's like that of Mallard. (Brunnich.) Range.—Northeastern North America; breeds from Labrador to Greenland; winters south to Massachusetts. 160. American Eider (Somateria dresseri). L. 23. Similar in color to [No. 159], but bare spaces on either side of feathers of culmen rounded at the base (posteriorly). Range.—Northeastern North America; breeds from Isle au Haut, Maine, to Labrador; winters south to New Jersey and Great Lakes. 161. Pacific Eider (Somateria v-nigra). Similar to [No. 159], but Ad. ♂ with a black V on throat; sides of bill more broadly feathered, distance from end of feathers to base of bare space on culmen less than distance from same place to end of bill. Notes. "A low guttural note." (Nelson.) Range.—North Pacific from Aleutian Islands north to Arctic Ocean east to Great Slave Lake. 162. King Eider (Somateria spectabilis). L. 23. Feathers at side of bill not reaching nostril. Ad. ♂. White patch on either side of rump, crown ashy blue. Ad. ♀ in 1 Yng. Resembling same plumages of [No. 159] and [No. 160]. Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds from Labrador and St. Michaels, Alaska north to Greenland and Arctic Ocean; winters south to New Jersey (rarely Ga.), and Great Lakes; one California record.

163. American Scoter (Oidemia americana). L. 19. Feathers at base of bill not extending forward on sides or top. Ad. ♂. Wholly black; bill black, yellow at base. Ad. ♀. Brownish above, lighter below; no white on wing or on sides of head. Notes. A long musical whistle. (Elliot.) Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Labrador and Alaskan shores of Bering Sea northward; winters south to Virginia, Great Lakes, Colorado, and California. 166. Surf Scoter (Oidemia perspicillata). L. 20. Feathers extending forward on top of bill. Ad. ♂. Black, nape and crown white; bill orange, yellow, and white, a round black patch on its sides. Ad. ♀. Above black, throat and breast paler; belly whitish; a whitish patch at base of bill. Yng. Similar but with white patches on ears. Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Newfoundland northward; winters south to Virginia, Florida, Illinois, and Lower California. 165. White-winged Scoter (Oidemia deglandi). L. 22. A white patch on wing; feathers extending forward along sides and top of bill nearly to nostrils. Ad. ♂. Black, a white spot about eye; bill orange, black at base. Ad. ♀. Dusky brown above; lighter below. Yng. ♂. Similar but sides and front of head whitish. Range.—Northern North America; breeds from Labrador and North Dakota northward; winters south to Virginia, southern Illinois, and Lower California. 177. Black-bellied Tree Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis). L. 22. Ads. belly and tail coverts black: foreback and breast gray; greater wing-coverts whitish. Notes. A shrill whistle. (Elliot.) Range.—Tropical America north to southern Texas. 178. Fulvous Tree Duck (Dendrocygna fulva). L. 22. Ads. Belly uniform rusty brown; upper tail coverts white; a black streak on hindneck; no white in wing. Notes. A squealing whistle. Range.—Tropical America, north in summer to Texas, Louisiana, Nevada and central California. "Casual in North Carolina and Missouri." (A. O. U.)