![]() Producer: John Kessler Executive Producer: Chris Peterson © 2014 Tune In to Nature. #īird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. It'll be the most colorful and sound-filled email you'll receive every week. Females are a subdued gray-brown with a neat white patch on the cheek. A closer look at the head shows glossy green and purple setting off the striking white patch. Males are striking black-and white from a distance. Take the plunge yourself and sign up to receive the Weekly Preview of BirdNote shows. A buoyant, large-headed duck that abruptly vanishes and resurfaces as it feeds, the tiny Bufflehead spends winters bobbing in bays, estuaries, reservoirs, and lakes. When you stop by a lake or saltwater beach this fall, keep an eye out for “dabblers” and “divers.” And take your time, because the divers may pop into view only when they need to catch a breath of air. “Divers” with narrow, pointed bills snatch fish, while those with flatter bills, like Common Goldeneyes search along the bottom for invertebrates such as small clams. “Diving ducks,” including scaup and mergansers, forage while swimming under water, using their feet or wings for propulsion. They strain bits of vegetation and small invertebrates with their flattened bills. “Dabbling ducks,” like the wigeons we’re hearing, feed by dipping their bills in water just below the surface, or dunking head first, so all you see are their tails pointing skyward. Take a close look at autumn’s ducks as they forage on the water. Goldeneyes, scaup, wigeons and other species join familiar year-round ducks such as Mallards. Females are noticeably smaller than males. ![]() In most parts of North America, fall migration brings the greatest diversity of ducks we’ll see all year. Around the same size as a redhead, goldeneyes are classed as a medium-sized diving duck species. This is BirdNote! Autumn brings millions of ducks flying south after nesting in the north. ![]() Adapted by Bob Sundstrom from a script by Frances Wood
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