The ringed-neck duck is one of the birds that reminds me that many species were originally named by hunters. Looking at them I would have been more likely to call them ring-billed ducks because of the unique markings on their beaks. So why ring-necked.
Its not something that you see often out in the wild while they are swimming. Often they have their heads sort of tucked into their bodies so you can not see their necks, like in the first photo. However once in a while they stretch out their necks and then you can see the lighting band on the neck, as in the photo above. The neck ring is much more obvious when you have a dead duck laying at your feet, or so I am told. So as hunters killed these ducks they named them ring-necked because to them it was an obvious field marking.
The ringed-neck duck is one of the birds that reminds me that many species were originally named by hunters. Looking at them I would have been more likely to call them ring-billed ducks because of the unique markings on their beaks. So why ring-necked.
Its not something that you see often out in the wild while they are swimming. Often they have their heads sort of tucked into their bodies so you can not see their necks, like in the first photo. However once in a while they stretch out their necks and then you can see the lighting band on the neck, as in the photo above. The neck ring is much more obvious when you have a dead duck laying at your feet, or so I am told. So as hunters killed these ducks they named them ring-necked because to them it was an obvious field marking.
6 comments:
they sure are pretty ducks!
I love these birds, but I do think we should rename them!
Very handsome birds and you've gotten such a good closeup of them. I'm thinking of birds today. Just saw the results in the paper today of Kentucky's first authorized hunting season for sandhill cranes. Hunters shot 50 of the 400-bird limit this first season. I am sorry to lose even that number of these noble birds.
Seems odd that they would pick an obscured marking to name the bird since they wouldn't see it until they had already shot it.
lovely duckphotos
Given that they're in the Aythya genus, perhaps Painted-Bill Scaup, or Black-Backed Scaup?
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