Thomas Stelle
Senior Project 09
11/10/08
American Black Duck (Anas rubribes)
Adult Swimming
(Ascher, John)
Introduction/Distinguishing Characteristics
The American Black Duck lives in the northeastern part of America and in eastern Canada. In French-Canadian it is called Canard noir and Spanish: Anade sombrio Americano because of its similarity in size and coloring to the mallard. The American Black Duck is often confused with the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and the mottled duck (Anas Fulvigula). All three ducks have similar physical features and belong to the family of the Anatidae. Until 1874, Ornithologists did not make a distinction between the Black Duck and the mottled duck, but called both the dusky duck (Longcore pg. 1). The American black duck is a large, dusky colored dabbling duck. The legs and feet are reddish- orange. In flight both male and female show bright white linings under the wing. During the breeding season, the sexes are clearly distinguished where the male’s bill is yellow and the females have a dull green bill. In the adult ducks the wings are dark brown with a violet speculum and a black edge. Both the male and female have a narrow dark cap and eye line (Murray pg.1). Hatchlings are completely downy and resemble mallard ducklings, except that they are much darker (Long-core pg.42). Juveniles resemble the adults in appearance, except that their feathers are more streaked in the breast area and their feet are more brownish instead of reddish (Murray pg.1).
Duckling running (Vezo) Hen swimming (Ducks Unlimited)
Adults resting (Ducks Unlimited)
The species of the American Black Duck is partially migratory, but many of the birds spend their winter in the eastern United States. The warmer temperatures in coastal areas allow them to remain in their seasonal habitat (Duck pg. 2). Overall the Black Duck is a very hardy species and is able to withstand quite cold temperatures.
The Black Duck has always been valued as a good game bird because it is shy, wary and fast on the wing and the most difficult duck to deceive, hence representing a challenge to the duck hunter (National Audubon pg.2). Hunting of the American Black Duck was restricted in 1983 but proved to not have a huge impact. In the 1950’s, Black Duck numbers started to decrease by a significant amount. In 1950 they estimated about 800,000 American Black Ducks in a national count, by 1990 they had declined to a mere 300,000 (Longcore pg. 3). The Black Duck population stabilized in the 1980’s and then began to increase again. The United States and Canada founded an organization, called the “Black Duck Joint Venture” whose goal was to restore the Black Duck populations in both the USA and Canada (Longcore pg. 41). Accordingly the Black Duck was labeled a “species of concern” by the Audubon watch list of North American birds. Also receiving the status “yellow”, meaning the species is considered to be declining at a slow rate (Nation Audubon pg.1).
However, over the past few decades the Black Duck has been in an overall decline, due to over hunting and habitat destruction (Wikipedia pg. 2). Conservationists also feel that the hybridization and competition with the mallard might be another aspect of the decline of the American Black Duck. Hybridization does not pose a threat to the plentiful mallard, but to the Black Duck females are put under an additional strain with this natural selection process (Rhymer 1996). “ Hybridization of an abundant species with a less abundant and declining can lead to genetic extinction of the species with the smaller population” (Rhymer 1996).
Adult Swimming Adult Swimming in Reed Black Duck and Mallard
(Ben) (Inram) (North)
Hybridization of the American black Duck with the Mallard and Mottled Duck is very common.
In the past, the dark-plumaged American Ducks populated the shaded forests in the northeastern United States and the lighter colored mallards tended to live in more open areas and plain lakes. Due to development and deforestation of this natural habitat, to maintain the separation of the two species is no longer possible, and nowadays it is harder to find and distinguish pure American Black ducks in our part of the USA (Johnsgard pg.51).
Cultural History: Water Fowling and Decoys
We need to remember that the first Long Islanders were Native Americans and not white European explorers and settlers. The Native Americans enjoyed an abundance of products both found on land and in the bays of the Atlantic (Hunting pg.1). They were expert hunters, fishermen and farmers. Besides deer, turkeys and ducks, they fished and harvested shellfish like oysters and clams (Native Americans pg.1). Along with the skill of hunting waterfowl, they acquired the skill of attracting birds using carved and decorated decoys. Indigenous Native American peoples around 100 to 200 B.C. made the earliest documented decoys. The use of decoys in waterfowl hunting is primarily a North American phenomenon, as hunters in England and Europe preferred different methods of hunting birds, and the commercial gunning market was not as advanced as in America (O’Brien pg.2). The Native American Long Islanders used the duck decoys to lure the wild birds within reach of their bows, spears or nets. Early decoys were made from weeds found in the local wetlands and salt marshes.
Early Straw Decoys (Native American Duck)
Since Long Island is located on the eastern flyway of waterfowl there has always been an abundance of migrating and wintering birds. From 1840 until 1918 there were no written hunting restrictions and therefore Long Island hunters supplemented their often small income by the so called “market gunning”. They used a special boat, equipped with a blind, and mounted on it was a specific “gunning rifle” with a huge barrel, which resembled a cannon. The ammunition exploded within a huge area and with this gun hunters could sometime take more than fifty ducks down.
Gunning Boat (Augustus)
At the beginning of the 19th century every restaurant in New York served fresh fowl, brought in the same day from Long Island. The commercial “market gunning” had always been looked at as unsportsmanlike behavior and conservationists also started to recognize that the wild bird population had shrunk significantly. In 1918, the “Migratory Bird Treaty Act” was passed and market gunning was banned (O’Brien pg. 1). After this act was put into place many of the market gunners became professional hunting guides. To attract the wild birds they used “working decoys (carved out of cork, floating with a weight) and sometimes tollers (live ducks, tied on a line), simulating a safe and authentic environment for the wild ducks (Field pg.1).
Working Ducks: Black Duck and Merganser Hen
(O’Brien)
Hunting geese and ducks was most prominent on Long Island and in the Chesapeake Bay. It was there and all over the Northeastern United States that baymen and artists started creating their own decoys. At first they were just tools of the trade, but nowadays some of these decoys are very valuable collectibles, some worth over 100, 000 dollars (Augustus pg. 1). The art of duck decoys reached their height between 1870 and 1940. One wonders when those working decoys became objects of art and why hunting had such a surge around 1900? (Thomas Stelle, 2008). Hunting methods were not as restricted back then as they are now and it was very common to use feathers, and other parts of the ducks to make clothing. The Victorian ladies needed a lot of feathers to adorn their hats, one primary use of feathers. As this trend grew, two high society Victorian woman from Boston were so appalled by all the plumed hats that they founded the Massachusetts Audubon Society in 1896.
Duck Feather Hat
(Feather Hats)
Waterfowl was an item on every menu in a good restaurant back in 1900 and this showed its widespread popularity. Flocks of wild birds were plentiful, leading people to think their numbers were not. There was a huge demand for waterfowl and the decoys that were used were basic and often carved by the hunters themselves (O’brien pg.1). As the numbers of birds started to decline and it became more difficult to hunt them, the decoys needed to look more elaborate and realistic. Around 1900 waterfowl hunting became more of a “gentleman sport” than commercial enterprise causing a whole new market to open up. The hunters wanted to work with more elaborate and natural looking decoys (O’Brien pg. 1). Between 1870 and 1940 some of the most beautiful bird and duck decoys were carved and painted by craftsmen. The names of a few of the amazing artists are: Gus Wilson (1864-1950), South Portland, Maine; Anthony Elmer Cromwell (1862-1952) from East Harwich, Mass; Harry V. Shourds (1861-1920), New Jersey; Nathan Cobb, (1825-1905) Cobb Island, Virginia and the Ward Brothers (1895-1976). Nowadays collectors pay up to 5000 dollars for duck decoys from the Mason Decoy Factory, which was in operation from 1896 to 1924 in Detroit, Michigan (O’Brien pg. 1). As this market started to broaden, a variety of duck decoys were created. On frozen lakes Ice decoys were used which had a heavy cast iron leg to stand on (O’Brien pg. 3).
Standing Ice Duck Decoy (O’Brien)
Confidence decoys were another kind of hunting device used at the turn of the century, when market gunning was still legal. These so-called confidence decoys are today very rare as well and came in two forms, Loomers and Tip-Ups (O’Brien pg. 4). Loomers were built out of wooden slates and sometimes made large enough to serve as actual gunning blinds.
Canada Goose Decoy (O’Brien)
Tip-Ups are also known as duck butts and were made to look like a dabbling duck, sticking its head under the water and feeding. Tip ups were usually rigged together to create the image of a small flock of dabbling ducks (O’Brien pg. 4).
Tip Up Decoy (O’Brien)
Another popular kind of decoy was a flyer, which was carved to look like a flying duck. They were set on stakes and had strings attached to them making it possible to flap their wings. As attractive as they appeared they soon fell out of the market, because they were easily run down and damaged (O’Brien pg. 2).
Flying Mallard Decoys (O’Brien)
Throughout these changing times duck decoys had become an integral part of life of Long Island’s baymen as well. Over time some of them became carvers and decoy artists or collectors. Dave Bennett, an eleventh generation Springs resident owns a substantial duck decoy collection and is a very respected connoisseur of the Art of Duck Decoys created on Long Island (Shaluk Antique pg.1). Anthony Pintauro and his son Frank are another example of two individuals, who started studying and collecting duck decoys over forty years ago. Their decoy collections were acquired over the past forty years and are now worth a fortune. Sag Harbor prides itself to have one of long Islands finest Duck decoy carvers right on Madison Street. Robert Hand Sr. has been creating ribbon-winning decoys in his studio since the 1970’s. He is a great artist and has an amazing mental library of knowledge about the history of duck decoys. His son Robert Jr. followed in his dad’s footstep and is also an amazing carver, who still pursues this art part time. This art has become so prominent as shown in their prices. The record price for a decoy was paid for an A.E. Cromwell Black bellied plover in December 2006. After an intense bidding war it went for $ 830,000 dollars (Smith pg. 1)
Distribution
The American Black Duck breeds all across eastern Canada to the mid Atlantic states of the United States. Most black ducks will winter along the Atlantic coast, also moving to the western states of the United States Some northern populations of Black Ducks will migrate as far as the American Gulf coast, in order to avoid harsh winters. It has been found that some Black Ducks have ventured further. A female, for example, banded in New Brunswick, Canada made it all the way over the Atlantic and showed up in France (All About Birds pg.2). Black Ducks breed and live in a variety of waters; freshwater wetlands, forested beaver ponds, brooks, bogs and salt marshes (Longcore pg.8). The location of the Black Duck during the summer ranges from Canada to The United States as far as Newfoundland in the East and Virginia in the South. In the winter they stay in southern Canada and depending on temperatures migrate as far as northern Florida.
Both male and female Black Ducks migrate in small flocks (20-30 ducks) at night to protect themselves from hunters. If they find an area where hunting is not prominent, they tend to remain, until the weather and food supplies seem to diminish (Life pg.3). Some breeding and wintering areas overlap, especially further down south. Under normal conditions the Black Duck tends to congregate in open waters of coastal areas near their breeding areas, then move to open waters or inland wetlands to nest (National Audubon pg.1). Around September, post molting, males, females and fledged young ones assemble near their breeding areas before they undertake the winter migration. Migrating birds sustain themselves on a varied diet: seeds, roots, stems, aquatic plants and insects, fruit, foliage, a variety of invertebrates, sometimes fish and amphibians and of course agricultural grains (Longcore pg.9). All ducks have short, but very strong wings, so they can fly long distances. Unlike geese, ducks do not migrate in formations. They do take the same flying route year after year and stop habitually at the same feeding sites en route. They can fly as fast as thirty miles an hour (Duck pg. 2).
Black Ducks in Flight