# ? about identifying ducks in flight



## Hunter22 (Jul 23, 2010)

I have a hard time identifying what type of duck it is when they start to circle and are comin in. How can you tell besides listening to them? I know that woddies are fast and there wings whistle and you can sometimes hear them coming and I know mallards you can tell by seing there big white bellies and their green heads and the teal are small and fast and you can sometimes hear them peeping as they fly over but its sometimes hard to tell when you dont see some that sneak in. What are yalls methods of being able to identify the ducks in the field?


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## GSURugger (Jul 23, 2010)

if it makes a sound similar to "ticket..ticket", then i am atleast convinced that it's a duck.


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## ngaduck (Jul 23, 2010)

Lots of time in the field. By the way, woodies aren't the only ducks that their wings whistle.


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## DuckGodLiaison (Jul 23, 2010)

Hunter22 said:


> I have a hard time identifying what type of duck it is when they start to circle and are comin in. How can you tell besides listening to them? I know that woddies are fast and there wings whistle and you can sometimes hear them coming and I know mallards you can tell by seing there big white bellies and their green heads and the teal are small and fast and you can sometimes hear them peeping as they fly over but its sometimes hard to tell when you dont see some that sneak in. What are yalls methods of being able to identify the ducks in the field?




I tend to shoot mine.......Gives me a closer look.

Works for me.............


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## ugabulldog56 (Jul 23, 2010)

GSURugger said:


> if it makes a sound similar to "ticket..ticket", then i am at least convinced that it's a duck.




Best advice given right there.  My safety goes off when i hear that.


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## 242outdoors (Jul 23, 2010)

ugabulldog56 said:


> Best advice given right there.  My safety goes off when i hear that.



only way to get a good look. knock em down first


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## Boudreaux (Jul 23, 2010)

I've been looking at 'em for over 25 years and still have difficulty some times.

Puddlers fly differently than divers.  Divers wings are further back on their bodies.  They fly at different altitudes.  They have different colors.  They have different flight characteristics.  They take off differently.

All of that comes from experience.  Gotta put in the time.  Like I said, I've been looking at 'em for over 25 years and still have trouble telling the difference from a pintail from a mallard from a gray duck until they get into a closer distance.  I've hunted with some who can tell a pintail from a mallard when the birds look like they are a mile high.  I'm just not that good.  But usually by the time they are within shooting distance, I can tell 1 puddler from the other.

Get some books, watch some videos, get in the field with someone who can teach you.


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## Core Lokt (Jul 23, 2010)

as mentioned, time in the blind is the best way to learn and even then it's not a given.

Edit to say it also helps if you can hunt different ducks and not the same kind every hunt.


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## Hunter22 (Jul 23, 2010)

Ya im talking about identifying what kind of duck it is when its flying by, not if it is a duck. haha I know when a duck is flying by or not but its hard to tell if its a teal, or pintail, or mallard or gadwall or woody and so on.


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## jerry russell (Jul 24, 2010)

Learning to identify ducks by sitting in a blind is usually how it is done but with Georgia's low duck population it will take years to become accomplished. Even then you won't get a chance to see many of the more rare ducks enough to get very good at it. Try to find a place where ducks are protected and hone your skills there. These places hold ducks that you will rarely see and this scenario allows you to attempt identification and then verify with a field guide after they have landed. This will cut many years off of your learning. I use the Clayton County waterfowl ponds (NO HUNTING HERE) and it has made a HUGE difference. This place will blow your mind. You will get to see hundreds of ducks at a time and often as many as 8-12 species per day. This place will give you a chance to see what duck hunting must have been like 100 years ago. The "trophy" ducks that so many people desire and many on this forum say can't be taken in Georgia can be seen here in staggering numbers. This place will also show you what a man-made pond system that is constructed and managed properly can be...300-400 mallards, 100-200 pintails, 200 plus "other" ducks on the water at one time!
Boudreaux had some good advice...flight heights and wing position are huge indicators along with wing beat frequency are your best guide. Another even greater benefit to this education is learning to tell the hens from the drakes in flight 
So find you a place like this and get there at roost time. Take a buddy and make it a game of who is the best at identifying the birds on the incoming. Give each other a buck every time you are wrong and you will get good at this REALLY fast!


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## Hunter22 (Jul 24, 2010)

jerry russell said:


> Learning to identify ducks by sitting in a blind is usually how it is done but with Georgia's low duck population it will take years to become accomplished. Even then you won't get a chance to see many of the more rare ducks enough to get very good at it. Try to find a place where ducks are protected and hone your skills there. These places hold ducks that you will rarely see and this scenario allows you to attempt identification and then verify with a field guide after they have landed. This will cut many years off of your learning. I use the Clayton County waterfowl ponds (NO HUNTING HERE) and it has made a HUGE difference. This place will blow your mind. You will get to see hundreds of ducks at a time and often as many as 8-12 species per day. This place will give you a chance to see what duck hunting must have been like 100 years ago. The "trophy" ducks that so many people desire and many on this forum say can't be taken in Georgia can be seen here in staggering numbers. This place will also show you what a man-made pond system that is constructed and managed properly can be...300-400 mallards, 100-200 pintails, 200 plus "other" ducks on the water at one time!
> Boudreaux had some good advice...flight heights and wing position are huge indicators along with wing beat frequency are your best guide. Another even greater benefit to this education is learning to tell the hens from the drakes in flight
> So find you a place like this and get there at roost time. Take a buddy and make it a game of who is the best at identifying the birds on the incoming. Give each other a buck every time you are wrong and you will get good at this REALLY fast!



Well im hunting with some buddies this year as well and heading to La, Ark, Tn, and possibly Canada as well. So im sure I will see a large variety of ducks.


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## Arrow3 (Jul 24, 2010)

I usually don't worry about what kind it is....If its a duck, im slinging some steel...


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## across the river (Jul 24, 2010)

jerry russell said:


> Learning to identify ducks by sitting in a blind is usually how it is done but with Georgia's low duck population it will take years to become accomplished. Even then you won't get a chance to see many of the more rare ducks enough to get very good at it. Try to find a place where ducks are protected and hone your skills there. These places hold ducks that you will rarely see and this scenario allows you to attempt identification and then verify with a field guide after they have landed. This will cut many years off of your learning. I use the Clayton County waterfowl ponds (NO HUNTING HERE) and it has made a HUGE difference. This place will blow your mind. You will get to see hundreds of ducks at a time and often as many as 8-12 species per day. This place will give you a chance to see what duck hunting must have been like 100 years ago. The "trophy" ducks that so many people desire and many on this forum say can't be taken in Georgia can be seen here in staggering numbers. This place will also show you what a man-made pond system that is constructed and managed properly can be...300-400 mallards, 100-200 pintails, 200 plus "other" ducks on the water at one time!
> Boudreaux had some good advice...flight heights and wing position are huge indicators along with wing beat frequency are your best guide. Another even greater benefit to this education is learning to tell the hens from the drakes in flight
> So find you a place like this and get there at roost time. Take a buddy and make it a game of who is the best at identifying the birds on the incoming. Give each other a buck every time you are wrong and you will get good at this REALLY fast!




Could you please post a picture of 200 pintails on a pond in Georgia?   I'm sure something that rare you had to get a picture of.  Especially since you couldn't hunt it.


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## jerry russell (Jul 24, 2010)

across the river...for real dude? I am not normally baited by the cynical posters on here but......My post was simply an attempt to help the guy with a question that HE asked  and give others some information about this incredible place. That is what this forum is all about-helping. As far as your pintail doubt is concerned-well you haven't been there have you? When pintails move through, take a little trip to the site and check it out. That was the point of my post, it IS _unbelievable_ and it is a _rare _opportunity for Georgia but a common occurrence here. Judging from the large number of DU stickers in the truck windows around this place during the season, I will leave it up to others to verify the claim. By the way, there have been 40 black ducks there over the last few days in the NW pond sandbars.
All disbelief aside, go there one day and give me a call to let me know what you thought when you first looked down into those flooded millet ponds....
To all the other guys that know of this place- Clayton County just built another massive series of these ponds that is HUGE-more than 1.5 miles long. They are across Thorton Blvd. from the others. Check them out on google earth, intersection of Thorton Blvd and Freeman Rd.-just north of the intersection.


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## clent586 (Jul 24, 2010)

Core Lokt said:


> Edit to say it also helps if you can hunt different dicks and not the same kind every hunt.


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## PaulD (Jul 24, 2010)

...............Practice.


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## Hit-n-Miss (Jul 24, 2010)

See if you can still find a copy of "Ducks at a distance" it is a very helpful field guide. It shows flock patterns and outlines as well as sounds made in flight.http://www.archive.org/details/ducksatdistancew00hinerich Look here. on the left side of page, under the flshing pages of the book, you can read it online for free.


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## across the river (Jul 24, 2010)

jerry russell said:


> across the river...for real dude? I am not normally baited by the cynical posters on here but......My post was simply an attempt to help the guy with a question that HE asked  and give others some information about this incredible place. That is what this forum is all about-helping. As far as your pintail doubt is concerned-well you haven't been there have you? When pintails move through, take a little trip to the site and check it out. That was the point of my post, it IS _unbelievable_ and it is a _rare _opportunity for Georgia but a common occurrence here. Judging from the large number of DU stickers in the truck windows around this place during the season, I will leave it up to others to verify the claim. By the way, there have been 40 black ducks there over the last few days in the NW pond sandbars.
> All disbelief aside, go there one day and give me a call to let me know what you thought when you first looked down into those flooded millet ponds....
> To all the other guys that know of this place- Clayton County just built another massive series of these ponds that is HUGE-more than 1.5 miles long. They are across Thorton Blvd. from the others. Check them out on google earth, intersection of Thorton Blvd and Freeman Rd.-just north of the intersection.



I wasn't being cynical.  I think it would be impressive to see a picture of 200 pintails in one spot in Georgia.  I personally have never see anywhere near that many total in Georgia over all the years I've hunted.   I have only seen a handful killed here and have never personally killed one in Georgia.  Do me a favor, the next time you go and the place is loaded with pintails, snap a picture.  I think we all would like to see it.


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## Hunter22 (Jul 24, 2010)

ya field experience is more in likely the best way to go.


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## mizzippi jb (Jul 25, 2010)

across the river said:


> I wasn't being cynical.  I think it would be impressive to see a picture of 200 pintails in one spot in Georgia.  I personally have never see anywhere near that many total in Georgia over all the years I've hunted.   I have only seen a handful killed here and have never personally killed one in Georgia.  Do me a favor, the next time you go and the place is loaded with pintails, snap a picture.  I think we all would like to see it.


its for real, you can see em all out there, and they dont mind if you ride around and look. I've seen goldeneyes, pintails, pretty muck any and every kind of puddler or diver (minus sea ducks) that you can imagine out there. Its impressive.


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## Hunter22 (Jul 25, 2010)

and this place is in Ga?


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## Core Lokt (Jul 26, 2010)

clent586 said:


>



The I and U are to close together, my bad.


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 7, 2010)

Jerry russell is right. If you haven't seen it , it hard to believe. From Oct to Feb there are all kind of ducks and geese.


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## KULL NUTHIN' (Aug 7, 2010)

I just finished grading the last phase of Huie in clayton county it consist of four ponds @250 acres and the ducks and geese were pulling up the aquqtic plants brought in from florida as soon as they were planted. It is well worth going to look at and you can ride forever in there around different ponds and it will blow your mind that a place exsist like this in Ga.Here's a few pics from the smaller interior ponds


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## KULL NUTHIN' (Aug 7, 2010)

Couple more


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## PaulD (Aug 7, 2010)

Bunch of gadwall!!!!


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## jerry russell (Aug 7, 2010)

This place is a treasure that any waterfowler should get a chance to see. It will help you to imagine what it must have been like 100 years ago. 
The neatest thing about this place is that it proves that incredible waterfowl habitat can be developed ANYWHERE. A case in point is the South pond on the West side of Thorton Blvd. If anyone is considering building a waterfowl pond-go here and copy this design. I am guessing it to be 10 acres and hundreds of ducks can be seen here at the same time. The most amazing thing is that this pond is less than 70 yards off of hwy 41/19. One of the busiest roadways in the Atlanta area.  
You don't have to buy a wetland or be on a river to make something like this possible. This is nothing more than a series of dikes in a field surrounded by paved roads, subdivisions and warehouses. It  must have a tremendous positive impact on waterfowl populations. 
Yesterday I saw 85 black ducks, some Common Moor Hens and around 60 Canadas on the place including one of those crazy looking hybrid honkers. Also if anyone is into birds of prey the NW pond has an Osprey feeding frenzy going on at all times. You can watch several birds there taking a fish every couple of minutes.

If anyone plans to visit the site, take a child along and visit the Melvin Newman wetlands project just down the street. It is a boardwalk that goes over a really cool wetlands area. It includes an interprative museum. It is all FREE!

A big thank you to Clayton County Water Authority for these incredible projects.


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## Hunter22 (Aug 7, 2010)

I was up in Holland, Michigan this summer visiting my older sister and every morning they had mallards lite in their back yard and flying over their house! It would be hard for me to not walk out my back door and shoot at em during season if I lived there.  All I could do is sit there and watch them fly by and this is in a major city but there were little ponds on every corner of every street with at least 10 ducks in each little pond!


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 8, 2010)

CCWA ponds had about 35 black ducks this morning, Some Mallards,
20 or so and look like some teal could not tell for sure about 10. 100 yards in middle of pond. 150 or more Geese half of them on Thorton Blvd. in the middle of the road.


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 8, 2010)

What are these????


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 8, 2010)

How about these??


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## Hunter22 (Aug 8, 2010)

In the first photo looks like 2 wood ducks, 2 cinnamin teal, 2 goldeneye, the other 2 with white spots on their head and wings I dont know what they are and the one in the middle i dont know either, and the bottom looks like 2 hooded megansers and I cant tell if thata a hen hooded merganser or not (the top of the head blends in with the wood), a hybrid goose, and a snow goose!!


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 8, 2010)

Good try 3 woodies 2 drakes 1hen, 2 redheads 1 drake,1 hen,2 blue bills , 1 drake 1 hen, 2 buffleheads 1 and 1.. 2 hoodmeggers 1 and 1, 1 ringneck drake. 1 ross goose, 1 hybird goose


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 8, 2010)

Hunter22 go to stickey for ids


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## Hunter22 (Aug 8, 2010)

Larry Young Jr said:


> Good try 3 woodies 2 drakes 1hen, 2 redheads 1 drake,1 hen,2 blue bills , 1 drake 1 hen, 2 buffleheads 1 and 1.. 2 hoodmeggers 1 and 1, 1 ringneck drake. 1 ross goose, 1 hybird goose



I tried! We have some of those hooded mersangers down at our coast house in darien, ga and my dad says he hunted them off our dock but never shot one before! There really cool looking ducks I think. I wasnt quite sure if that was a hen woodie or not. Its weird but I have only shot drake woodies but have seen hens. Its not on purpose, it just happened that way.


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## Larry Young Jr (Aug 9, 2010)

it happens


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