Park Ducks

Most big city parks in the US provide shelter for migratory waterfowl at some time during the year, even if they can sometimes be difficult to pick out among the feral Mallards, Muscovies, and Graylags. Tucson is very fortunate to have a few park ponds that host a great variety of ducks all winter long, including some species that are typically seen in deeper water and at greater distances.

I find it simply astounding that Canvasbacks, the most regal of all bay ducks and in many parts of their range decidedly gunshy, will spend the winter at Reid Park, happily battling the American Wigeons for bread cast out by the many scofflaws.

They’re joined by Redheads, too, a great opportunity to show people that these two superficially similar birds really aren’t much alike at all.

Reid Park is my favorite place to show people female Redheads: no searching through distant rafts here!

But the duck I most enjoy seeing on these little ponds is Lesser Scaup. They are the rarest of the Aythya ducks to regularly occur in Tucson parks, and perhaps the most beautiful. Seeing them up close is a great way to learn a little about head shape; I especially like it when they are feeding actively and depressing the crown feathers, letting us concentrate on the angle of the nape rather than the presence or absence of a crest.

This beauty was at Fort Lowell Park, where he was diving every few seconds. Get a load of that flattop!