California Ricelands and Waterbird Habitat
- Part I:
Overview of Ricelands and Waterbird Habitat - Part II:
Overview of Waterbird Ecology and Conservation
Goals/Needs - Part III:
Sacramento Valley Species Snapshot - Part IV:
Riceland Shorebirds - Part V:
Riceland Wading Birds - Part VI:
Riceland Marsh Birds - Part VII:
Riceland Waterfowl - Part VIII:
Cooperative Partnerships to Enhance Ricelands Habitats - Part IX:
Riceland Waterbirds Future Vision - Part X:
Technical References
Part VII: Riceland Waterfowl
Waterfowl are probably the most well known group of wetland birds because they include ducks and geese, which in addition to being relatively large in size, are iconic wetland birds enjoyed by hunters most everywhere they occur! Many ducks and geese nest in the north and come to the milder climate of the Central Valley in the winter to find food. Waterfowl eat vegetation, seeds (including waste grain), and small aquatic invertebrates.
The Northern Pintail, Mallard and Northern Shoveler are all dabbling ducks, which means they swim in shallow water to find food and often tip upside down with their front half under water and their back half sticking out above water. They don’t dive completely under water to find food.
Most waterfowl go north to breed, but some are here year round and nest in densely vegetated areas. They build their nests close to the ground and use vegetation to conceal them. These ducks typically forage in open water and prefer depths between 6 and 12 inches.
Geese forage at relatively shallow depths. White-fronted Geese are common visitors in rice during migration and winter, but nest in the Arctic in summer. Swans, like geese, are here only during winter and migration, but they prefer the deepest depths to find food.
