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26. Anas carolinensis. Green-winged Teal.

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Abundant migrant; many breeding; extremely abundant throughout the region along the boundary from Pembina to the Rockies in August; doubtless some breed (Coues). Dufferin: Arrived between 15th and 20th (Dawson). Winnipeg: Summer resident; abundant; breeding (Hine). Swampy Island: 1885, first seen, two, on May 3; next seen, the bulk, May 6; is tolerably common, and breeds here; in fall, last seen September 1; 1886, first seen five on May 8; bulk arrived May 10 (Plunkett). Very common near Norway House; scarce northward (Bell, 1880). Portage la Prairie: 1884, abundant migrant and common summer resident, arriving at about the same time as the Mallard, but leaving as soon as the sloughs are frozen over; I have found flappers as late as the 15th of August (Nash). Rarely found breeding on the plains; apparently goes further north; in immense flocks on the Assiniboine in the fall of 1881 (Macoun). Carberry: common; breeding; Silver Creek, Rapid City (Thompson). Dalton: 1889, first seen, two, on April 15; next seen on April 16, when it became common; does not breed here (Youmans). Brandon: April 20, 1882 (Wood). Shell River: 1885, first seen, a pair on May 2; afterward seen every day; is common all summer, and breeds here (Calcutt). Qu’Appelle: Common summer resident; breeds April 5 to 15 (Guernsey).

On June 29, 1882, at Rapid City, Dr. A. S. Thompson shot a Green-winged Teal with his rifle. Although shot through the belly it was not killed, but flew with its entrails trailing, and it required a charge of dust shot to finish it. It was a male; length, 15; extension, 23; gizzard full of shell fish. This species is very abundant throughout the whole of the pondy prairie region from here to Carberry. It is usually met with in pairs and is of a very affectionate disposition, for if one be shot the other either remains to share its fate, or if it does fly at first, usually returns almost immediately to the side of its mate. I found it an expert diver, for often one of them would disappear at the approach of the gunner and be seen no more; doubtless it had swam under water to the nearest reed-bed, in whose friendly shelter it was securely hiding.

On July 5, at Silver Creek, came across a female Green-winged Teal traveling with her brood of ten young ones across the prairie towards a large pool. The mother bird was in great grief on finding that she was discovered, but she would not fly away; she threw herself on the ground at my feet and beat with her wings as though quite unable to escape and tried her utmost to lead me away. But I was familiar with the trick and would not be beguiled. I caught most of the tiny yellow downlings before they could hide and carried them carefully to the pool, where soon afterward the trembling mother rejoined them in safety.

This species, I think, unlike the blue-wing, usually nests quite close to the water, so that it was probably owing to the drying up of the pond that this newly hatched brood found themselves forced to take an overland journey of considerable extent before they could find a sufficiency of water.

Birds of Manitoba

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