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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Some Facts Re Male Wood Ducks (ETC) Tuesday's Truths WK 114


Hello and welcome to Segment 114 of my Tuesday's Truths series. In this post I'll be telling you (along with other points of interest) some cool facts re Wood ducks, the bird type featured in the image atop this entry, who seemed to be giving me the stare (or glare) when I saw him in Central Park this past Friday.

Wood ducks are closely related Mandarin ducks (one can be seen in the next picture where he is swimming in The Pond within Central Park; as this Wood duck was doing) who are the only other member of the genus Aix.

MY COLLECTION OF HIS IMAGES OF ARE AVAILABLE ON FAA

The Mandarin duck has vertical rudder like feathers on his wings, called wing sails; as evidenced here. My photographs of this bird type can be printed on an array of surfaces for wall art as well as on covers of spiral notebooks and greeting cards. For more info on this, please visit my web-pages on Fine Art America (FAA).

In any event, perhaps the Wood duck featured in the first image here might have been giving me the stare/glare because, as of this posting, I have not included his images on FAA; and he is not featured in my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak which does include a duck (in the third volume) who happens to be a Muscovy.

She can be seen in the following picture, where she is atop a rock at the Hudson River, that proved to be a good place for preening.

THE MUSCOVY IS FEATURED IN VOL 3

But the Wood duck has been included within a dozen (as of now) postings here on Blogger so he need not feel neglected by yours truly. He is  described by a web-page (for nature mapping) in this manner: "Wood Duck drakes are the most vividly colored of all North American ducks. The head and crest are green and purple, outlined with white lines. The throat and neck are white. The breast is chestnut brown with white flecks. The lower breast is tan. The wings are metallic blue and green; sides are buff and black. The drake has red eyes. His bill is red with a black tip. The legs and feet are dark yellow."

The aforementioned web-page is spot on in their description of the drake which you can see in the next set of pictures which I also took this past Friday.




Evidently, the male wood duck "has bright colors for courtship displays." The female (seen in the following set of pictures taken on a different day) "has dull colors to blend in with the environment."








By the way, Wood ducks are also known as Dabbling ducks search for food while swimming which is what may be occurring in the image of him that is directly below.


And there you have it dear reader, a couple of facts re Wood ducks. I may feature this bird type on FAA  and/or in a book; so please stay tuned.

Meanwhile, also please note that the Mandarin duck, the Muscovy duck and the Wood ducks are not the only duck varieties that I've met in NYC.

I've encountered (as seen in the next set of pics) several other types of ducks and have published entries re each of them here on Blogger. These include Bufflehead ducks, Hooded MergansersKhaki Campbell ducks, "Standard" Mallards, Mallard ducklings, Hybrid Mallards, Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers and Ruddy ducks.


I'm one lucky duck to have come upon these wonderful creatures!
--------------------
*Here is the purchase info for the series:

SEE PRESS RELEASE
Volume One: ISBN: 9780996378529
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2AFZDCz
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2zxVujM
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2AAnB26
book culture On Columbus (a bookstore on the UWS in NYC): http://bit.ly/2FsC1Uf

SEE PRESS RELEASE
Volume Two: ISBN: 9780996378536
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2q75g8e
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DY0mz0
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2G65m6H

SEE PRESS RELEASE
Volume Three: ISBN: 978099637853
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2IzH2iu
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IYkmpA
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2vedQot

EACH OF THESE BOOKS CAN BE ORDERED FROM ANY PLACE SELLING BOOKS BY GIVING THEM THE TITLE, OR ISBN, OR MY NAME, PATRICIA YOUNGQUIST.


THE WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES



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