Help with Diving Duck I.D.

[tonyb]

Unfortunately, one of them decided to eat the minnow that was on my hook and I caught it...(released of course)

There were about a dozen of them that were diving and catching baitfish with ease.

 

They were diving in the inner-harbour and I was fishing on the lake side at Bronte, so I thought I was safe, but the one I caught must have swam a relatively long distance underwater as I was keeping an eye out for them on the surface where I was fishing...

 

Anyone know what type of Duck these are? The one that I hooked was the black and white looking one on the right...I think they are the same species though male/female?

 

 

Tony

Edited November 12, 2007 by tonyb

[Ron]

Long tailed duck,

 

They used to be called Old Squaws. The one in your photo on the left is a juvenile, the one on the right is a hen.

 

 

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds...ailed_Duck.html

Edited November 12, 2007 by Ron

[tonyb]

Thanks Ron!

 

I thought it was that, but the photo's I saw for that type had a really long pin-like tail. That photo you posted is a direct match.

 

Tony

[Roy]

That Ron guy surely knows his birds. Most wildlife for that matter.

[Sinker]

Ron is right, they are Oldsquaws (long tail ducks), except the one on the right is a Drake, and the one on the left is a hen or juvinile. Tough ducks they are, and can dive up to ~300ft!! They are seaducks.

 

Sinker

[tonyb]

I did some reading and thought this was interesting...

 

It looks like they over-winter in the Great Lakes...their home range is way WAY up north

 

 

Tony

[Fishmaster]

Got the Long Tail on the wall pretty bird ....

[Ron]

 

This is a male.

Edited November 13, 2007 by Ron

[Sinker]

Yup, and so is the one on the right in the pic. Just not fully plumed yet. They don't all have the long tails. It comes with age, a fully plumed mature drake will have the long tail. A young drake will have no tail, or a shorter one.

 

I'm not saying your wrong Ron, but the bird on the right in the original pic is a drake old squaw. Hens are mostly brownish/grey on thier backs. Hardly any white like the bird in the pic.

 

Sinker

[Rizzo]

do those ducks have a bad odour? I know a guy who says "ducks" and then a few seconds later there is a really bad smell. Just wondering if they are the same ducks.

[Dabluz]

The best plummage is in the spring during the mating season.

[Dabluz]

do those ducks have a bad odour? I know a guy who says "ducks" and then a few seconds later there is a really bad smell. Just wondering if they are the same ducks.

 

Yes....those ducks do smell bad. However, not as noisy as the "pull my finger" ducks.

[Landlocked]

....combined with barking spiders they are a lethal combination!!