This is Bird Note. It's one of those clear, quiet winter mornings on the bay. The silence is

broken by a series of loud, insistent calls.

What's the source of this wild refrain? There, a hundred yards out where the water deepens,

is a small cluster of sea ducks, dressed mostly in white.

They're long-tailed ducks, back for the winter from nesting far to the north.

Long-tailed ducks are named for the male's plumage.

Long, slender tail plumes extend almost a foot behind his body.

Long-tailed ducks are far more vocal than most ducks,

a feature that has earned them a host of charming nicknames.

The name that probably comes closest to capturing the sound of the male's call is from the Cree language.

Ha-ha-way.

This winter, along either coast or on the Great Lakes, listen for long-tailed ducks.

By listening, you'll have an advantage, because they can be hard to spot.

When they're feeding, long-tailed ducks spend a lot of time underwater, and they can dive as deep as 200 feet. Even so, you can get a good look at a

long-tailed duck on our website, birdnote.org. I'm Michael Stein. This episode is dedicated to Dan Moore

for as many years of board service and generous support of Bird Note.