WORK IN PROGRESS

My latest project is an OLDSQUAW DUCK also known as the Long-tailed Duck.
The male has a long pointed tail and a dark grey bill crossed by a reddish/pink band.
This is an earlier carving of that duck.

Old Squaw (Drake) ~ Winter Plumage

Unlike most ducks, which molt twice yearly, the Long-tailed Duck has three distinct plumages each year which overlap in partial molts. According to "allaboutbirds.org" the Long-tailed Duck is one of the deepest diving ducks, diving up to 200 feet to forage. It spends more time under water -- three to four times as much as it does on top of the water -- when searching for food.

This new carving will feature the duck in its breeding plumage.

DIVING DUCKS

RED BREASTED MERGANSER PAIR

The red breasted merganser is a diving duck, characterized by a spiky crest and long, thin, red bill with serrated edges. It is one of the fastest birds in level flight, reaching speeds of 80 mph.

Drake / Hen

Raptors

RED TAIL HAWK

Half size

AMERICAN KESTREL

Merganser Pair

HOODED MERGANSER ~ Drake

   MERGANSER ~ Hen





The Teal

The Teal duck is distinguished by its small size. The Common or Eurasian Teal is the smallest member of the "dabbling ducks" -- ducks which feed primarily on the surface, rather than by diving. 


The GREEN-WINGED TEAL is the North American counterpart of this duck.

The BLUE-WINGED TEAL is another small, dabbling duck common to North America that breeds in marshes and ponds in north and central regions of the country. This species can most often be found in the prairies of the Dakotas and prairie provinces of Canada.                                                          

Close, genetically, is the CINNAMON TEAL, a small reddish duck found in the marshes and ponds of western North and South America.