CHAPTER I

THE HARLEQUIN DUCK

By Douglas H. Chadwick
I wen c!oss"coun!y skiing in #lacie! Naional $a!k ea!ly one %onana s&!ing. A
wa!' wind ca!!ied (ue!)lies genly )!o' willow cakin o coonwood (ud e*en as i loosed
a*alanches o*e!head ha 'ade he day !e'(le. As he !i*e! I was )ollowing swung a!ound
he ankle o) a 'ounain goa cli))+ i !aced down a se!ies o) ledges. The whie wae! looked
o*e!&owe!ing. ,e wo &ai!s o) s'all ducks we!e !iding i+ shooing h!ough s&ous and
whi!&ools - hen )lying u&s!ea' o !ide i again. They would di*e ino he cene! o) a sluice
and su!)ace ./ seconds lae! a e0acly he sa'e s&o+ kayak down so'e !i&s and cu!ls+ &eel
o)) ino he eddy (ehind a (oulde!+ and su('e!ge once 'o!e. Th!ough he c!ysalline &ool
he!e I could see he' &!o(ing like !ou a'ong he !ounded (oo' sones.
The )e'ales we!e a so) (!own wih whie &aches on hei! cheeks and (!ow. The
'ales we!e 'osly he (lue"g!ay o) so!' clouds+ ye hei! sides we!e (u!nished !ed. 1o was a
wedge along hei! c!own. And an e0!a*agance o) whie dos+ co''as+ and s!i&es+ so'e
oulined in (lack+ 2uiled ohe! &a!s o) hei! head and (ody. The (i!ds looked close! in si3e o
a 4ay han o a 'alla!d. Insead o) 2uacking+ hey s&oke in *a!ied whisles+ a i'es h!owing
(ack hei! heads o gi*e o)) a keening c!y. 5hen hey )lew+ hey always ke& wihin a )ew )ee
o) he wae!+ 'aching he channel6s e*e!y wis and u!n.
I had ne*e! seen anyhing ha looked o! aced like hese (i!ds+ and I ha*e (een
gahe!ing in)o!'aion on he' e*e! since I skied (ack ho'e. I led o a good deal 'o!e han
ducks. I (egan o lea!n how he ene!gies )lowing h!ough an en*i!on'en sha&e whole
co''uniies o) li)e. And while e*e!y sudy o) nau!e is uli'aely a sudy o) connecions+ he
s&ecies I )i!s 'e a a cascade in he wilde!ness also showed 'e how widely hose h!eads
ha*e (eco'e aached o he hu'an s&he!e.
7n he sages o) Eu!o&e once s!ued a )igu!e old (y his cosu'e o) &achwo!k
colo!s and cu!iously &ained )ace - a his!ionic+ o! hea!ical+ clown. This duck was na'ed )o!
hi'8 he ha!le2uin+ Histrionicus histrionicus+ also known as he ci!cus duck+ &ained duck+
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oe' &ole duck+ !ock duck+ 'ounain duck+ glacie! duck+ whie"eyed di*e!+ s2ueake!+
s2ueale!+ (lue s!eak+ and+ ogehe!+ as he lo!d and lady. As ye anohe! na'e+ he sea 'ouse+
suggess+ he!e is a di))e!en di'ension o he ani'al6s li)e. A)e! !ea!ing hei! young on
'ounain s!ea's each su''e!+ ha!le2uins !eu!n o s&end he !es o) he yea! along !ocky
ocean coass. 7ne o) he s'alles sea ducks+ hey say he closes o sho!e+ )eeding in he
ine!idal 3one whe!e su!) 'ees sone.
7ne 9e(!ua!y I wen wih (iologis :e!non By!d o) he Alaska %a!ii'e Naional
5ildli)e Re)uge o 1he'ya Island nea! he end o) he Aleuian chain. 5hile (li33a!ds and
!ain s2ualls ook u!ns slaning ou o) he clouds+ we ci!cled he isle o census ha!le2uins+
eide!s+ and !a!e e'&e!o! geese. Two &e!eg!ine )alcons and a whie"ailed eagle (lown ac!oss
)!o' 1i(e!ian sho!es wen ino ou! noe(ooks he )i!s day as well.
;5e kee& !ack o) sea oe!s oo+< :e!n said+ &oining o a !a) o) nea!ly =/ (!eaking
a&a! sea u!chins o ea. ;Noice he ducks swi''ing close (y he oe!s> I hink hey6*e
co'e o*e! o da((le a s&illed u!chin !oe.<
I soon lea!ned no o wase i'e scouing )o! ha!le2uins along 2uie s!eches o)
(each. In he ha(ias hey chose+ wa*es o&&led and !oa!ed s&!ay a he sky. 7)en he (i!ds
we!e whe!e hey !isked (eing s'ashed agains ledges i) hey 'isi'ed a single di*e.
Ha!le2uins ha*e s'ooh+ densely &acked )eahe!s ha !a& a lo o) ai! wihin he'. This is
*ial )o! insulaing such s'all (odies agains he chilly wae!s hey &ly. I also 'akes he'
e0ce&ionally (uoyan. ,ou can ell ha!le2uins (y he way hey (ounce u& like co!ks a)e!
di*es and !ide high on he su!)ace+ ski''ing lighly as (u((les o*e! o!dina!y swells. 5hen
&!essed+ hey can lean )o!wa!d+ &u hei! unusually s!ong legs in gea!+ and &lane ahead like
lile (oas wih (ig ou(oa!d engines.
1ill+ I saw ha!le2uins ge caugh in he leading edge o) (!eake!s - li)ed+ wised+
whi&&ed a!ound like loose seaweed. 1o'e 'anaged o (!eak he hyd!aulic g!i& and kick
down ino he cu!l6s glassy de&hs. 7he!s we!e s&ewed (eween eeh o) da!k *olcanic !ock
in a su!ge o) )oa'. 1u!)e! ducks. A ?@
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"cenu!y a0ide!'is who &!e&a!ed 'ouns )!o' nea!ly
@/ ha!le2uin s&eci'ens noed ha he had ne*e! seen (i!ds wih so 'any (!oken and 'ended
(ones.
5e land dwelle!s sense disase! when we look a a *iolen sho!e. ,e a hos o) 'a!ine
in*e!e(!aes ha*e no only ada&ed o such &laces (u a(ound he!e. The ha!de! wae! is
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chu!ned+ he highe! is o0ygen conen+ he 'o!e o)en nu!iens )low (y+ and he )ase! wase
&!oducs and s'ohe!ing sedi'ens ge whisked o))+ all o) which encou!age a g!eae!
a(undance and di*e!siy o) li)e. 1i'ila!ly+ as !ou )ishe!'en can ell you+ he !i))les and
!a&ids o) )!esh wae! su&&o! a !iche! concen!aion o) a2uaic insec la!*ae han slowe!
'o*ing &a!s o) a 'ounain s!ea'. In sho!+ )as wae! 'eans a )ulle! la!de! )o! whoe*e! has
he skills o! !iskake!6s hea! o ge a i. Ha!le2uins ha*e (oh.
5he!e*e! ha!le2uins a!e )ound+ hey see' (ound o whie wae! in una'ed
landsca&es. 9ew &eo&le know o) he'+ des&ie ha long lis o) co''on na'es. 1cieniss
(egan o sudy he s&ecies only !ecenly - 'ainly ou o) ala!' o*e! a&&a!en declines.
The only duck o) he No!he!n He'is&he!e de&enden on u!(ulen 'ounain s!ea's
)o! &a! o) is li)e+ he ha!le2uin e0iss in wo se&a!ae &o&ulaions+ Alanic and $aci)ic. 7)
he $aci)ic g!ou&+ a leas ?//+/// o .//+/// a!e ied o No!h A'e!ica. The 'a4o!iy wine!
along he Aleuian Islands and &o!ions o) he Alaska coas )a!he! souh. B!iish Colu'(ia
clai's a!ound ?.+/// wine!ing (i!dsA 5ashingon+ se*e!al hund!edA 7!egon and Cali)o!nia+
hese days+ 4us a hand)ul o! wo. Alhough 'any nes in coasal 'ounains+ so'e 'ig!ae as
)a! inland as he ,ukon and he ease!n slo&e o) he Rockies in Al(e!a and %onana.
Ha!le2uins also inha(i ease!n Asia+ )!o' 1i(e!ia o Ba&anA in wha nu'(e!s is any(ody6s
guess.
7) he Alanic g!ou&+ Iceland and #!eenland each clai' an esi'aed =+/// o
?/+///. 9ewe! han a housand occu&y ease!n Canada and he U.1.+ which 'ay ha*e once
held he Alanic6s g!eaes sha!e. The su!*i*o!s (!eed &!i'a!ily in La(!ado!+ New)oundland+
and Que(ec6s #as&C $eninsula and wine! o)) %aine+ wih a )ew do3en o) coninuing as )a!
souh as 1achues $oin+ Rhode Island.
Source : National Geographic magazine at November 1!
"olume : 1#$% No& '
Page : 11( ) 1!*
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