Hunters’ Names for Ducks Transcript-968

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BirdNote®

Hunters’ Names for Ducks

Written by Todd Peterson

This is BirdNote!
Successful hunters have always observed their quarry closely. Accordingly, they’ve invented nicknames for waterfowl, names that capture the distinctive sound and sight of these birds, such as:
“Greenhead” for the gorgeous iridescence of the male Mallard.
“Whistler” for the sibilance of the goldeneye’s wings in flight. (Sound of goldeneye in flight)
“Skunkhead coot” for the bold black-and-white markings of the drake Surf Scoter.
“Baldpate” for the drake widgeon’s domed white head. (Call of male widgeon)
“Bluebill” and “Broadbill” for the color and width of the sturdy bill a scaup uses to forage for mussels and clams.
 “Sawbill” for the merganser’s fish-catching serrations and “Spoonbill” for the Northern Shoveller’s mud-sifting implement.
And finally the nicknames for the Long-tailed Duck that mimic the bird’s call. (Long-tailed duck calling) In English, it’s “John Connally,” and in Cree, it’s “Ha-hah-way.”
But one mystery that remains is why the Northern Pintail is called a “Sprig.” If you know the answer, fill us in by visiting our web site at BirdNote.org.
Sounds of the birds featured on BirdNote come from The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
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Bird audio provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York.  Barrow’s Goldeneye in flight recorded by W.W.H.Gunn.  American Wigeon recorded by A.A. Allen.  Song of the Long-tailed Duck recorded by G. Vyn.
Producer:  John Kessler
© 2007 Tune In to Nature.org (intro revised Oct. 07 & Nov. 2008)

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