What Kind of Duck?

[Zonie]

I went duck hunting today, even though it is only the first of February.

The ducks are starting their Northern journey and they often stop here in Arizona for a brief rest.

The Arizona Canal is a short distance from my house and I've noticed several Mallards doing their duckly thing on the water. I also saw a species I'm not familure with so today I went home and got my Cannon, I mean my Canon and went out hunting the elusive Mystery Duck.

Knowing we have a large number of hunters here on the forum, I thought "I bet one of them knows what this duck is!" so I ask you: What kind of duck is this. (Hint: They dive a lot.)

 

[Rebel]

Looks like a helldiver.

 

[hornbuilder]

zonie :{

its called a ring neck duck, i know i know , everybody thinks pheasant ...
look for the white band where its bill meets its head . its an easy way to identify this species!

 

[Slowpoke]

Reb.... you been in the sauces???? :rotf:

Only Helldiver I every heard of is this

Zonie gonna need a bigger gun than his Browning.

SP

 

[biliff]

Yeah, they're ringnecks. Shoot a fair number of them every season. They're diving ducks that like fresh water marshes.
Never have understood why they call it a ringneck duck. There is a really faint red ring around the neck but you literally have to have the bird in hand to see it and even then you have to get the light right.

 

[asabai]

What you have there was already said an Aythya collaris actually two of them, Ringneck Ducks

Rusty :grin:

 

[Rebel]

Nope, no sauces for me in a lot of years. :grin: We have a black and white local duck that i have always heard was called a helldiver. May be why i don't hunt a lot of ducks. :grin:

 

[bigbore442001]

Would that be a harlequin duck? I don't believe we have them here on the east coast except near southwestern Connecticut in the Long Island Sound.

 

[sduve]

Anyone ever seen a Tufted duck? Very similar to the Ringneck. Saw some about 15 years ago in my neck of woods. I read where they are a European bird. $.02

 

[Slowpoke]

Better than me... I didn't know what kina ducks they were but Helldiver... I knew was a plane. :rotf:

 

[Flint50]

Zonie, if the duck had feathers extended off the back of the head(kinda like a mullet)I'd say tufted duck. If the feathers were smooth off the back of the head it's a ringneck

 

[Zonie]

Thanks to all of you.
I think it is a Ringneck from the little digging I did in some illustrated duck sites I found.
The illustrated site showed a Scaup that looked similar but it didn't have the striped bill that these have. The ringneck they showed did.

I think someone might have called them a Helldiver because just as my camera zeroed in on one of them, it dove leaving nothing but some ripples. That caused me to say things like "Oh Hell!" so you see, if someone was so low as to try to shoot one of them on the water (yah, I know you guys don't do things like that) and it vanished they might start calling them HellDivers too! :grin:

The back of the head doesn't have any sort of crest or protrusions.

At least it is a DUCK. A Ringneck DUCK. I'd hate to think I was looking at some bird that I knew was a duck only to find that it was really a Scaup! What the Hell kind of self respecting duck would have a name like Scaup I ask you?

Scaup...dumb name....

Thanks again!

 

[lyman]

Looks like a golden eye to me
Bob

 

[biliff]

Scaup...dumb name....

Scaup are also referred to as bluebills. At least its a pretty good description of 'em.

 

[sduve]

...and in two models, Greater and Lesser

 

[Finnwolf]

One of the things I remember from my waterfowling days is - don't shoot the one's that dive! Fish eaters do not make for pleasant field dressing or good tablefare.
FinnMerganser

 

[biliff]

...and in two models, Greater and Lesser

Yeah, but who am I to judge. :rotf:

 

[sduve]

I got into a bunch of redheads and ringnecks about 8 years ago and we found them to be great eating. as good as mallards. Main thing is, get the skin off.

 

[The Baron]

Them are Ringnecks! (hen on the left, drake on the right). We get lots of them here. We shoot drakes only, and they are very handsome fellas. Wrap marinated strips of ringneck breast in bacon with a piece of halipeno, and then broil 'em fast and hot - you will think you have died and gone to heaven! :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

The Baron: I'd like to try your recipe but I think my local Game Warden would take a dim view of me going up to the canal and thinning out the flock. :grin:
Something about "out of season" and "Illegal air rifle" and "No Duck Stamp" and "Hunting Waterfowl with lead (pellet)". :grin:

I guess I'll just let them rest here so they can make it back up North in a month or so for you folks.

Strangely, these Ring-necks and Mallards are the only ducks on the canals around here.
The Mallards aren't exactly dumb so they have been known to just say "to H with it" and stay all year long here in the Valley.
Out in the desert, all of the ducks leave as summer comes on, mainly because the water holes dry up.