Old Duck

In a few weeks, we will be returning to Glacier National Park on our summer tour.  It is just one of several stops we have planned, but should be one of the highlights of the trip.

Among other things, Glacier is the breeding ground for the Harlequin Duck, a small sea duck that almost never makes it as far south as Texas.  There have  been a few sightings, and one photographed near Port Isabel back in 1990.

The duck, named for the male’s colorful plumage, nests along the banks of Glacier’s icy streams, with the females returning each year to the spot where they were hatched.

There are young Harlequin ducks, middle-aged Harlequin ducks, old Harlequin ducks, and then one really old Harlequin duck that calls Glacier National Park home.

According to the folks at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, this breed of waterfowl can live to 15 years, which is old for most ducks, and Glacier officials say the oldest known banded Harlequin duck lived to 18 years and 10 months.

That puts one male Harlequin duck living in Glacier in rare company – he’s at least 17 years old, according to its band.

“Prior to these findings, Harlequin ducks were reported to live up to only 10 years of age, which makes this finding a positive indicator of the health and longevity of harlequin breeding populations in Glacier National Park,” said Lisa Bate, the park's biological science technician. “Research indicates Harlequin ducks mate for life unless something happens to one member of the pair. This old male has returned the last three years with the same female.”

I hope to see some Harlequin Ducks in Glacier, but what we really need to see this trip is a moose.  We have made a couple trips to “moose country” in the Northern tier states and Canada, saw tracks and droppings in Glacier, but have never spotted a moose in the wild.