Upland Migratory Birds, Shoreline Birds & Waterfowl Flash Cards

Marsh / Shoreline Birds

Migratory but not waterfowl or upland game birds

Wetland Migratory Game Birds

A group including Swans, Ducks and Geese that migrate.

Swans

Very large body, very long necks, white. Very slow wing beats webbed feat and can walk easily on land. They are all non-game. There are three species: Tundra, whistling and mute

Geese

Males and females are alike. They have no eclipse plumage. Larger than ducks. Fly in V formation or in lines, they have a slow wing beat and webbed feet. They can walk easily on Land.

Dabbling Ducks

Males and female are often easy to tell apart except in eclipse plumage. More graceful with longer necks than Diving ducks. Webbed feet and can walk on land easily. Take off straight up. Tip-up to eat. Bright speculums on males. Hind toes are not lobed and have slower wing beats than divers. Found on shallow water.

Diving Ducks

Males and females have similar, plump bodies, short wings, and webbed feet and difficulty walking on land. Patter along the water to take off. Dive to feed. Dull coloured speculum on males. The hind toe is lobed and has fast wing beats. Found in deep water.

Sea Ducks

A lot like diving ducks in appearance spend their winters at sea. Eat vegetation invertebrates and fish. Not as good to eat due to the strong fish taste. A large group of birds.

Coot

Marsh bird. Greyish-black, duck-like, lobed not webbed feet. Good swimmer with widespread toes. Small beak with an extension which runs up the forehead. Head pumps when it swims, both sexes are alike. No other open season on any other marsh bird.

Snipe

Shorebird. Mottled brown and white, a long beak with a dark tip. Long legs. The Head and cheeks are striped. Widespread toes. Both sexes are alike. Solitary, most shorebirds are not. No other open season for any other shorebird.

Mourning Dove

Streamlined with a small head, long pointed tail, salty blue above, reddish fawn below, white spots on the tail. Black spots on the cheek. Legs and feet are red. Sexes are similar. Occur in the south of the province. Upland Migratory Bird

Band Tailed Pigeon

Like domestic pigeons, blue-grey bodies with purplish heads and great. With the white bar on the back of the neck, pale grey band on the tail, and yellow legs, both sexes are similar. Southwest coast and expanding in the south of the province. Upland Migratory Bird.

Canadian Goose

The goose has a black head and neck, white cheek patches, a brown body and white bellies. Appear all over BC and have 7 subspecies.

Snow Goose

The goose is all white but has distinctive black-tipped wings. They have pink feet and bills that are tipped with white and a distinctive black “grinning patch” on the bottom bill. They also have a rusty-coloured tint to the head and face. They fly in a typical V formation

Ross Goose

Smallest goose in BC. Around the size of a duck and has a shorter neck than most geese. All white with black wing tips and pink legs and feet. Their bill is a deep reddish-pink with a paler nail and a warty, darker-coloured White Fronted Goose base. Does not have a “grinning patch”