Nest and Eggs—The same as the American scaup.
Measurements—Total length, about 16 1/2 inches; wing, 7 1/2, and bill 1 1/2 inches.
| RING-NECK (Aythya collaris) |
THE RING-NECK
(Aythya collaris)
In the breeding season the ring-neck male has a dirty orange ring around the neck which disappears wholly, or nearly so, before the beginning of the hunting season. The ring-neck is generally more plentiful on the fresh waters. I have seen great numbers of them at the mouth of the Colorado river. In fact, both the ring-neck and the lesser scaup range much farther south than do the larger species, for while few of the larger scaup are seen in Mexico, great quantities of the little blue-bills are found throughout the republic, especially on the salt marshes of the two coasts. All of these three species breed along the mountain lakes from California north.
Color—Male—Head and neck, black, with an indigo sheen when turned in the sun. This will always distinguish it from the larger blue-bill whose sheen is green and the lesser blue-bill whose sheen is purple. The speculum is gray; bill, bluish with a pale blue band across it about a half inch from the end.
Female—The female of this species resembles the female of the red-head very closely. It is considerable darker, however, and the bill joins the head without the marked indentation seen in the red-head.
Nest and Eggs—The nest and eggs are the same as the scaups.