Gamebird identification

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 534, 3 May 1994, Page 6

Gamebird identification

There is a big difference between birds seen on the pages of a bood and those out in the wild, flying at you over raised gun barrels. By the time a bird is within 40 metres of you it should be a potential dead duck. At this distance, more often than not, individual colouration is almost impossibletodisce'rn. So whatdoes the hunter do to avoid bagging a protected species? Observing the size and movement of the incoming bird is the first and best way to obtain the essential identification skills. Mallards are big birds compared to grey duck and will often make several passes over decoys before

coming in. Greys will often drop straight in. Shoveler, a smallish duck, roar around the sky in fast flight with rapid wing beats and often in mobs. The Scaup, a protected species, are a small, blackish duck that fly in low flight and can be seen to run across the water on take-off. There is a conspicuous white wing bar on the rear of the wing. Grey Teal (protected) are a small mottled brown duck that fly with a fast wingbeat and mobs frequently wheel in flight. They also have a conspicuous white bar in the middle of the upper wing. Brown Teal (protected) are a small, slow-flying, dark brown duck.