Field
Marks: The most highly colored North American duck. It is often seen
perched in trees. On the wing, the white belly contrasts strikingly with the
dark breast and wings. It has a long dark squaretail, short neck, and angle at
which the bill points downward are good points. Male: Crested; Bizarre face
pattern; rainbow iridescence.
Voice: Sounds like whoo-eek, shrill
and raucous (female) and also a finch like jeee with rising reflection (male).
Where found: South Canada through much
of the USA, Cuba. Winters in Mexico and Cuba.
Texas: Resident locally in East Texas.
These birds were photographed in Landa Park, New Braunfels, Texas. I've seen
numerous of these birds along the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, Texas
sitting in trees close to the water.
Nest: A bed of down in a tree cavity. Eggs are whitish and they lay between 10-15.