Mallard
“This dabbling duck’s specialized bill is shaped like a shovel, measuring nearly an inch longer than a Mallard’s and containing nearly a hundred fine, comb-like projections that serve to filter out seeds, aquatic invertebrates and tiny crustaceans from the water.”
Through the year
Columns that mention it, by the month they were published.
Year by year
Columns that mention it each year.
In his words
All 4 passages, oldest first.
Closer inspection revealed a juvenile Bald Eagle scavenging on a Mallard duck.
Unlike a Mallard or Black Duck who springs into the air, the Greater Scaup must tread water for some distance while furiously beating its wings to get airborne.
This dabbling duck’s specialized bill is shaped like a shovel, measuring nearly an inch longer than a Mallard’s and containing nearly a hundred fine, comb-like projections that serve to filter out seeds, aquatic invertebrates and tiny crustaceans from the water.
Not much larger than a Mallard, their name comes from the Old Norse brandgas, meaning “burnt goose,” a nod to their dark, blackish-gray plumage.