Ducks and Geese of Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge

The Ducks and Geese page contains 80 images of Mallards, Ruddy Ducks and Canada Geese
taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge and some supporting images taken at a few other locations.

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Coots and Grebes Cormorants Ducks and Geese

Egrets and Herons Hummingbirds Common Loon

Pelicans Phoebes and Blackbirds Raptors Assorted Wildlife

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Ducks Geese

Mallard 4913

One of a series of portraits of a spring Mallard drake taken at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the mid-afternoon.

Mallard 4917 M

Mallards are medium-sized dabbling ducks. The males have an iridescent green head that in the right angle
of light changes to a cobalt blue to cerulean hue. Mallards are the ancestors of most breeds of domestic duck.
Mallards interbreed with many of their closest relatives, leading to various hybrids that are often fully fertile.
This hybrid fertility is quite unusual, and is due to the Mallard’s recent evolution in the late Pleistocene.

All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide.
Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M”
in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without a title bar.
Some of the portrait images are also designated as “M”, and are 1500 pixels tall (plus the title bar).

Mallard 4919 M

Mallards are slightly heavier than other dabbling ducks. The bill of the drake is yellow-orange with a black tip.
They have a white collar separating the head from the chestnut-brown breast, and both male and female have
iridescent blue speculum feathers edged with black on a white background (see Mating Flight further below).

Mallard Portrait 8756

A close portrait of a Mallard drake taken at the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in British Columbia, Canada.

Mallard 4920

At the end of the summer mating period, adult male Mallards transition to their eclipse plumage,
in which their head feathers are still green but quite scruffy, mixed with dark and buff feathers. The
breast feathers become mottled with a spotted or scaled pattern, and worn feathers are replaced.

Mallard 4922 M

Due to the malleability of the Mallard’s genetic code, which gives it its interbreeding capability, mutations
in the genes that determine plumage color are quite common and have led to a wide variety of hybrid types.

Mallard 4930

A Mallard drake in breeding plumage poses on the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in early April.

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Mallard HS0057

A Mallard drake with its characteristic bottle-green head patrols the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Mallard Female 6626

Mallard Female 6629

The female Mallard looks very similar to most other female dabbling ducks, with a mottled plumage
where each feather fades from buff to a dark brown. They have buff cheeks, throat and neck and a
darker crown and eye stripe. Like the male, the females have iridescent blue speculum feathers.

Mallard HS0091

A Mallard drake taken at just the right angle so that the entire head appears to be cobalt blue.

Mallard X0516

Mallard X0519

Mallard bookends patrolling the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon in early spring.

Mallard Female 6808

A Mallard female poses for a close portrait in early July at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Mallard Quack 0345

Mallard X0520

A Mallard drake poses for a portrait, paddling madly while providing a perfect reflection in the still waters of the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge, in the late afternoon in March.

At left, a Mallard auditions for the AFLAC commercial at Echo Park in Los Angeles, not realizing that the company prefers to use Pekin Ducks, a white breed of domestic duck which was bred from the Mallard in China and is now the most popular of the commercial duck breeds in the US (see the Mallard page in the Ducks, Geese and Swans Wildlife Study section).

Mallard Hybrid 1872

Mallard Hybrid 4950

Mallard hybrids at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge and Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles.
Mallards interbreed with a wide variety of ducks (and occasionally some species of geese).

Mallard X0978

Mallard X0980

Mallard drakes in profile portraits taken in the late afternoon at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

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Mallard in Flight X0140

A Mallard drake in flight over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon in mid-March.

Angry Mallard Female 1926

A Mallard female reacts to an attack by a number of males on the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Males who are left without partners during the mating season occasionally gang up and target an isolated
female, pecking at her until she weakens and forcibly copulating with her. They also fight amongst themselves.

Mating Flight 1515 M

A mated pair of Mallards in flight over the LA River in the late afternoon in March.
Note the white-bordered blue speculum feathers on the trailing edge of the wings.

Mallard Female and Ducklings 1063

A Mallard female and ducklings at the LA Arboretum in mid-April.

Mallards typically lay from 7 up to 12-14 eggs, and the ducklings are able to swim as soon as they hatch.
They stay near their mother for warmth and protection, to learn about their habitat and how to forage for food.
They bond to the first moving subject they see after they hatch in the process which is known as filial imprinting.

Mallard Female and Ducklings 6941 16x9

A Mallard female leads her clutch of ducklings across a pond at Huntington Gardens in San Marino.

Mallard Female and Ducklings 6955

A close portrait of a Mallrd female and her ducklings at Huntington Gardens.

Marching Mallard Ducklings 1055 16x9

Mallard ducklings march to catch up with their mother at the LA Arboretum.

Marching Mallard Ducklings 1071 M

Mallard ducklings strutting beside their mother at the LA Arboretum.

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Ducks Geese

Ruddy Duck 6549

A breeding male Ruddy Duck in the placid waters of the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ruddy Ducks, a member of the stiff-tailed ducks, have long stiff tails which they habitually hold upright.
The males, which may have been designed under license from Disney Studios, have a sky-blue bill that
contrasts boldly with their black forehead and crown, white cheeks and chestnut brown body. Females
and juveniles are brown and tan with a pale brown cheek stripe below the eye. In eclipse plumage the
male is a dull gray-brown above and paler below, and the blue bill turns dull gray, similar to juveniles.

Ruddy Duck 6557

Ruddy Duck HS0277

Ruddy Duck males in breeding plumage in the late afternoon in early July at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ruddy Duck 6568 16x9

Ruddy Ducks are small, compact, thick-necked ducks which are very aggressive towards each other
and towards other species, especially during the breeding season (they occasionally chase rabbits).
Ruddy Ducks themselves are harassed by Coots and Pied-Billed Grebes. Grebes will sometimes
attack Ruddy Ducks from below the surface of the water in a technique known as “submarining”.

Ruddy Duck X0159

Ruddy Duck HS0272

Ruddy Ducks at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge on two different days, in the late afternoon in mid-April.

Ruddy Duck HS0279

A close portrait of a Ruddy Duck in the late afternoon in mid-April.
Note the stiff, fan-shaped tail that the duck holds erect over the water.

Ruddy Duck HS0280c

A detail crop of the head of a breeding adult male Ruddy Duck
showing the bright blue bill and rich chestnut brown body plumage.

Ruddy Ducks HS0029

A breeding male and female Ruddy Duck swimming together on the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ruddy Ducks HS0030

Note the paler brown cheek stripe of the female. Ruddy Ducks breed seasonally, forming pairs in late winter.
The male performs a display, swimming around the female with his tail tilted forward and his neck stretched.
He then slaps his bill into his chest, makes a courtship call, stands on his tail and scoots across the water.
Images and sequences of an adult male and a juvenile practicing the courtship display are shown below.

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Ruddy Duck Juvenile 6509

A juvenile Ruddy Duck swims in the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon in early July.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile 6543

Ruddy Duck Juvenile HS1554

Juvenile Ruddy Ducks in areas of the pond with less algae, in early and late July, both in the late afternoon.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile X0931

A low-angle close-portrait of a juvenile Ruddy Duck at Sepulveda, in the late afternoon in early April.

Parents abandon the young three to four weeks after hatching, but the young do not fledge until two months.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Stretching 6495 16x9

A juvenile Ruddy Duck stretches at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon in early July.

Ruddy Duck Juveniles Landing X0938

A pair of juvenile Ruddy Ducks coming in for a landing on the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ruddy Duck Juveniles Landing X0939

The young ducks stretch their feet forward to act as skis as they brake in the late afternoon in early April.

Ruddy Duck Juveniles Landing X0940

A Ruddy Duck juvenile glides over the pond surface on his feet while landing at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ruddy Duck Juveniles Landing X0941

While his “wingman” prepares to land, our young “pilot” prepares to celebrate his successful landing.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0943

A juvenile Ruddy Duck displays after successfully landing on the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

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Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0935

Most often, ducks display by standing and flapping their wings before taking off in their running display,
but this juvenile Ruddy has his own technique, standing on his tail and twisting his body from side to side.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0934 0935 XXL

A 1600 x 729 version of the XXL Composite (6005 x 2525) showing an unusual display technique
of a juvenile Ruddy Duck who stands on his tail and rotates his body from side to side with fixed wings.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0454

A juvenile Ruddy Duck performing the more usual wing-flapping display while standing on his tail.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0457

These images were taken in the mid-afternoon at the end of March at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0459

The juvenile Ruddy Duck is paddling madly below the surface to stand, but other than the effort
required to flap his wings, his upper body shows no sign of the energy he uses to stand on his tail.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0460

A juvenile Ruddy Duck stands on his tail and performs his wing-flapping display at mid-afternoon.

The legs of the Ruddy Duck are set well back on their body. This makes it very difficult for them to walk
on land, but they are exceptionally fast and agile on the water. When they dive, they paddle with both feet
simultaneously and keep their wings closed. Ruddy Ducks can dive or sink into the water with little effort.
They developed the ability to sink below the surface of the water as an adaptation to elude predators.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display X0462

After the juvenile completes his display, he either drops back into a swimming position or takes off running.

Ruddy Duck Juvenile Display XXXL

A 1799 x 1290 version of the 9-image XXXL Composite (9010 x 6135) showing a juvenile Ruddy Duck
standing on his tail and performing a wing-flapping display in the mid-afternoon at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

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Ruddy Duck Display X0210

Ruddy Duck Display X0212

An adult breeding Ruddy Duck takes off running over the surface of the water after completing his
wing-flapping display in the late afternoon, just before sunset in late April at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Ruddy Duck Display X0213 16x9

Ruddy Ducks move quite rapidly over the surface of the water, and maintaining a focus lock can be challenging.

Ruddy Duck Display X0217

A breeding adult male Ruddy Duck runs over the surface of the water in a mating display.

Ruddy Ducks use a similar technique to gain speed before takeoff, as their short stubby wings
do not provide a lot of lift. They also tend to fly rather low to the water, beating their wings rapidly.

Ruddy Duck Display X0219

At the end of his run, the Ruddy Duck pulls his wings back and leans forward, dropping his chest to the water.

Ruddy Duck Display X0220

As he loses lift, he kicks both feet forward to ski for a short distance before dropping his chest into the water.

Ruddy Duck Display X0221 16x9

A breeding male Ruddy Duck brakes at the end of a running display by gliding on his chest.

Ruddy Duck Display XXXL

A 2000 x 684 version of the 8-image XXXL Composite (12030 x 3700) showing a
breeding adult male Ruddy Duck in a running display at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

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Canada Goose Portrait X0996 M

A close portrait of a Canada Goose swimming in the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Canada Goose X0998

A full portrait of the same Canada Goose shown in the close portrait above.

The Canada Goose is native to North America, and is generally a migratory species, but they are
highly adaptable to human-altered areas and has become the most common waterfowl species in
North America. Non-migratory populations of Canada Geese have established residency in many
urban areas, and in some urban and densely-populated places they are considered to be pests.
Canada Geese have occasionally been involved in disastrous bird strikes on aircraft at takeoff.

Canada Goose and Goslings 0938

Canada Geese and Goslings 0940

Canada Geese and goslings on Baldwin Lake at the LA Arboretum.

Canada Goose and Goslings 0906

A Canada Goose shelters her goslings under her wings at the Los Angeles Arboretum.

Canada Goose and Goslings X1168c

Canada Goose and Goslings X1169c

Canada Geese and goslings foraging along the shore of the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Canada Geese primarily eat grasses on land, along with beans and grain when available.
When they feed in the water, they eat aquatic plants, small fish, crustaceans and insects.

Canada Goose X1166

Achieving an accurate exposure of a Canada Goose in full sunlight requires dancing a very fine line
between underexposing the head and losing the eye, and overexposing the white parts and losing detail.

As you can see, simply turning the head into the shade can easily lose detail in the eye.

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Canada Goose X1147

Canada Goose X1161

Canada Geese prowling the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon in mid-April.

Canada Goose X1150

A close portrait of a Canada Goose in the late afternoon at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge, taken at
the perfect angle to light the eye and at the perfect exposure to retain detail in the white feathers.

The black head and white chinstrap distinguish the Canada Goose from all other goose species
except the Cackling Goose, which used to be considered a subspecies of the Canada Goose
until 2004, when it was separated into its own species. The Barnacle Goose has a fully white
face and a black breast, and can easily be distinguished from Canada and Cackling Geese.
Most subspecies of the Cackling Goose are quite a bit smaller than the Canada Goose.

Canada Goose Landing X1157

A Canada Goose skipping in for a typical water-ski landing on the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Canada Goose Landing X1158

The goose skis on its large webbed feet, losing speed until it settles into the water.

Canada Goose Landing X1157-1158 SXL

A 2000 x 890 version of the SXL Composite (5005 x 2125) of a Canada Goose
landing on the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon in mid-April.

Canada Goose X1167

A Canada Goose patrols the green waters of the pond at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon.

Canada Geese Sunset Flight 1132 M

Canada Geese fly into the setting sun over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in late December.

More images are in the Geese subsection of the Ducks, Geese and Swans Wildlife Study.

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