Download winter waterfowl @ SC state parks

Winter Waterfowl
Cold winter weather brings a special group of guests to our South Carolina State Parks:
ducks, geese, and swans; who are collectively known as the waterfowl. All of these birds share
special adaptations such as short legs and webbed feet to help them survive in their mainly
aquatic environment. Ducks offer the most variety of the waterfowl, and can offer the bird
watcher and nature enthusiast some entertaining behavior to reward those who venture outdoors
during the depths of winter. They can be classified into two groups based on their feeding
behavior: they are either divers or dabblers.
The divers include ducks that completely submerge themselves in search of a meal.
They tend to have legs set far back under their bodies to make them more efficient swimmers,
but the trade off is that they are pretty ungainly on land. They also tend to have a little more
trouble taking flight, and have to run across the water’s surface to get in the air. Some of our
divers include:
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Scaup
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Bufflehead
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Redhead Duck
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Surf Scoter
Red-breasted and Hooded
Mergansers, who use their
narrow, saw-toothed bills to
catch fish and crustaceans.
They also sport feathered
crests that can be raised or
lowered at will.
Lesser (and the much-less
common) Greater Scaup, who
frequently form vast
congregations just offshore of
our coastal beaches.
Ruddy ducks, chunky little
birds whose tails are often
held at the water’s surface,
sometimes making them
appear tailless.
Buffleheads, males of whom
superficially resemble male
Hooded Mergansers with their
white patches on the back of
their heads, but have a white
waterline.
Ring-necked Ducks (who
ironically have a more
noticeable ringed bill).
The aptly-named Redhead,
and the similar-looking
Canvasback.
The thick-billed, sea-going
Scoters (Black, Surf, and
White-winged).
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Canvasback
The dabblers tend to upend themselves when feeding, leaving their duck derrieres
sticking in the air as they “dabble” for food along the muddy bottom. Their feet are set farther
forward, so they manage on land a lot better than the divers do. They are also a bit quicker at
taking to the air. Some of our more common dabblers include:
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Blue-winged Teal
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American Wigeon
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Blue-winged Teal, which can
be found in S.C. virtually any
month out of the year. The
male has a blue-gray head
marked with a white crescent.
Green-winged Teal, whose
males have a chestnut brown
head marked with a broad
green band.
Pintail, whose males sport
long, slender tail feathers.
American Wigeon, also
known as Baldpate in
reference to the male’s white
forehead (similar to how Bald
Eagles got their name.)
Northern Shoveler, who are
named for their huge bills.
These have a number of
ridges and grooves which
enable them to filter the mud
to sieve out small particles of
food, similar to how
flamingoes feed.
Wood Ducks, who get their
name from their habitat: they
always occur around forested
wetlands and swamps. They
can be found year-round in
S.C. in the right habitat.
Wood Duck
Green-winged Teal
Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Where to see Winter Waterfowl:
Croft State Natural Area: Ring-necked and Ruddy Ducks and Red-breasted Merganser are
just a few species which can be seen on the park’s lake.
Dreher Island State Park: A great inland location for watching waterfowl on Lake Murray.
Common and Red-breasted Mergansers and Surf Scoter can occasionally be found here, with
American Black and Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, and Bufflehead being more common.
Hunting Island State Park A walk along the beach can offer views of occasionally vast rafts
of Lesser Scaup, with an assortment of Scoters thrown in. The lagoon, fishing pier, and marsh
boardwalk can offer Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser, Buffleheads, and sometimes
Redhead.
Huntington Beach State Park A walk along the causeway offers views of a managed
freshwater impoundment on one side and a natural salt marsh on the other. Between these two
wetland habitats, it is possible to see most of S.C.’s species of ducks. Take a walk along the
beach to the jetty at the north end of the park to see Scaup and Scotors, with the possibility of
something truly unusual such as Long-tailed Duck, Common and King Eider, or Harlequins.
Myrtle Beach State Park The fishing pier offers an excellent vantage point to observe
ocean-going waterfowl such as Scaup, Black, Surf, and White-winged Scoters, Red-breasted
Merganser, Bufflehead, and sometimes Long-tailed Duck. Such rarities as Harlequins, Common
Eider, and Goldeneye have also been observed here.
Sesquicentennial State Park The lake provides a good habitat for wood ducks year round.
Occasionally, Ring-neck ducks, buffleheads, and other species are seen. Canada geese are
present most of the time.
Table Rock State Park: The most common ducks on the park’s two small lakes are Wood
Ducks, Buffleheads, and Hooded Mergansers. Ring-Necked Ducks, Blue-Winged Teal,
Mallards, Lesser and Greater Scaup are also occasionally seen.
To learn more, attend a Winter Birding program at one of your South
Carolina State Parks:
Winter Waterfowl
Huntington Beach State Park
Fri., Jan. 16, 2008
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Meet at the causeway pkg. lot
Free with park admission
Call the Education Center at 843-235-8755 to register
Winter Bird Count
Table Rock State Park
Sat., Feb. 16, 2008
8:30 am - 11:30 am
Meet at the Visitor Center
Register by Feb 10, 2007
Call the park at 864-878-9813 to register