Ring-Necked Ducks in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California
Ring-necked Ducks in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California
On the morning of March 6, 1922, Mr. C. R. Thomas, of the Audubon Association of the Pacific, kindly telephoned to Dr. Barton Warren Evermann, of the California Academy of Sciences, that he had the day before seen some Ring-necked Ducks (Marila collaris) on one of the Chain of Lakes in Golden Gate Park. Acting upon this information, Dr. Evermann and I repaired to the scene and found the ducks still there. We found Mr. A. S. Kibbe, president of the Audubon Association, also on the ground for the same purpose as ourselves. At the time of this visit the ducks were asleep on the water with their neads laid on their backs, and, as the light was not good, it was difficult to distinguish the female of this species from the Ruddy Duck (Erismvtura jamaicensis).
As the light was better in the afternoon I took Mr. Chase Littlejohn with me and found matters much improved on the lake. The light was just right and the birds were moving around. As a result of this we succeeded in counting seven males and twenty females in the flock. On this occasion we met Mrs. Jane Schlesinger close to the lake and had the pleasure of showing the ducks to her. Mr. Littlejohn states that this species of duck used to be quite common on the southern part of San Francisco Bay, and that he had seen many flocks of them, as well as many of the birds brought in to Redwood City by hunters, But this was the first time I, myself, had ever had the opportunity to see a flock of these ducks. Mr. Kibbe has already made a brief report of the event in the Gull (vol. 4, no. 3), but it seemed of sufficient importance to warrant enlarging upon and presenting to the readers of the CONDOR.
Joseph Mailliard
San Francisco, March 23, 1922
