Waterfowl Bird enthusiasts - advice?

alethionaut

alethionaut

Member
Hi all

I'm wondering if anyone has knowledge of an online resource for identification of waterfowl eggs - I've been googling to no avail apart from bringing up the odd hunting page. Or any links to books/ sites that would be helpful? A basic overview is all I need to get me started (I've just accepted a job as a waterfowl warden - I'm not going out and annoying wild birds!)
 
Waterfowl...

I once started a collection of waterfowl eggs, using infertile eggs from my own and other people's birds. I hoped to be able to identify eggs this way. I gave up when some believed Fulvous Whistling Duck eggs hatched into bantam chicks.Since then I have relied on seeing the duck that laid the eggs!
 
Haha yea I've been going with that particular theory for a while now but it's for the ones that move too fast/ aren't sitting when I check. I have an idea on size difference but just wondering if anyone knew of a summary or overview information on sizing and typical attributes. Although I've learnt a lot already and will only add to that :)
 
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Waterfowl.....

Here's a few rough guidelines:
Mandarin eggs are usually larger than Carolina, both being rather pinky white oval, but perhaps less pointed than a chicken egg.
Scaup eggs can be long and thin (but not always), as can Pintail (but not always).
Whistling Duck eggs can be rounder than most duck eggs, with a rather more waxy texture (but not always).
Shelduck eggs are white, Goldeneye are greedy blue.
Not a lot of help, is it?
 
It's something to start with, that's for sure ;)

Thanks though. I think I already knew there wouldn't be an easy one-book-teaches-all. My past exp. is with raptors so to go to waterfowl and waterfowl breeding is a different learning curve all together!
 
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