I went to check my cams today and seen about 15 or so black ducks in the river. I wish I could have gotten closer to better discribe them but the entire bird looked black from my vantage point.
matt hougan
Junior Member
Ameican black ducks are quite common particularly this time of year. Sandusky Bay is the largest single breeding ground for them in North America.
Not sure what they were since I'm not a bird man but it was pretty cool to see that many in the river at one time. I usually see mallards and wood ducks back in there but this was the first time I had seen this type of duck. Pretty cool stuff for sure.
Adam, were these birds actually jet black in color or was it more of a dark chocolate? American Black Ducks are about the size of a mallard, but they're not really black... They're more of a really dark brown color. Coots, on the other hand, are actually black... smaller than a mallard and with a white pointy bill. Hooded mergansers are also black, but have quite a bit of white in their plumage as well.
Yes, usually coots will run for a ways, or just plain swim away while refusing to fly. I have seen them pop right off the water before, though.
Honestly, the best way to tell is for us to go back next year and hunt this area. Matt, Jim, and I would be glad to help you identify any birds in question right before yelling, "kill 'em!!" :smiley_crocodile:
If it was about the size of a mallard, it was probably a black. We get good numbers of them in the rivers & creeks this time of the year. I just saw some last week in the Olentangy along one of the Metro Parks.
One we killed in a field hunt a few years ago...
If it was about the size of a mallard, it was probably a black. We get good numbers of them in the rivers & creeks this time of the year. I just saw some last week in the Olentangy along one of the Metro Parks.
One we killed in a field hunt a few years ago...
Looked to be all black from what Dante and I could see. We topped a hill where you can look right down the river and seen them a good distance away but as soon as they picked us off they hit the air. Just wish I had my binos so I could say for sure what they looked like. Had to be about the size of a mallard to see them as good as we did from that kind of distance.
I just had some ducks in my river that had really dark heads with white stripes/markings on their head. 6 of them and a bunch of mallards.
HAHAHA it is a creek full of skeeters! lol
Just looked them up and they were woodies apparently.
Just looked them up and they were woodies apparently.
Duck Commander
Junior Member
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dante322
*Supporting Member*
ditto.
I remember the beaks too. they looked white to me, but at the time I figured it was just the reflection off the water making them look lighter than they actually were.
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Funny coot story. When I was about 16 we went on a guided bass fishing trip to Lakefork texas. A huge lake that has about 315 miles of shoreline. The guide had this gigantic souped-up bass boat with a hotfoot gas pedal. He needed it to be fast because if the fish aren't biting on one side of the lake. he has to go miles and miles south to go around to the other side because it is shaped like a giant Y.. On such an occasion he decided to try the other fork of the lake and we took off hauling ass... I can almost guarantee you he was between 80 and a 100 mph. Up a head there was a gigantic raft of coots in the lake.. He slap ran straight through the middle of them laughing his ass off. Dang things never knew what hit them and weren't even trying to fly yet.