Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 22. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 22nd Lecture (ca. 1799): "534. Red head. the bill is of dull blue, with greenish tinge and black at the point and has a nail; head and part of the neck of a rusty red; the lower part of the neck, and breast black; the back cenerious, finely pencilied with white cross lines. Wings cenerious brown; speculum grey, bordered with white; under part of the body dull white. Anas rufa? Linn. 535. Female is without the red head and black breast. The head and neck is brown, darkest on the crown. Wings and under part like the Drake. the back plain brown." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
Peale continued: "I do not find this duck described in any of the Authors except Linnaeus, and he is very short, and does not say to what country it belongs. They are found in great abundance in the Chessapeak bay, and are very good eating, though not so fine flavoured as the Canvis back Duck [Aythya valisineria], to which its plumage assimilates considerably; those who are not acquainted with the form of the Bill of the Canvis back, may readily mistake the Red Head for it." (ANSP Archives, coll. 40)
An undated scrap of paper tucked into Peale's 21st lecture manuscript contains a scribbled list of duck specimens, including: "Red Head D. (A. rufa)" (ANSP Archives, coll. 40).
Peale evidently had specimens of three commonly confused species: Common Pochard (A. ferina), Canvasback (A. valisineria), and Redhead (A. americana), which he distinguished based on bill shape in "A Walk Through the Philad[elphi]a Museum" (1805-1806): "The Pochard (a. Ferina) by some is thought to be the same [as the Canvasback], but a slight view of the bill will be sufficient to determine that they are a different species. A comparative view of the Beak of the Canvis-back with that of the Redhead Duck (a. Rufa) will [also] confirm a knowledge not easily mistaken although the plumage of both species are very similar." (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, coll. 0481)
Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) described this species under the name "Red-headed Duck / Anas ferina?" in American Ornithology vol. 8, published posthumously (Pl. 70), where "Peale's Museum, No. 2710" was cited (Wilson 1814: 70). / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175758#page/130/mode/1up (text) / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175758#page/112/mode/1up (plate)
Notes:
Wilson (1814: 110, American Ornithology vol. 8) was not as convinced as Peale that the Redhead and Common Pochard were different species: “Anxious as I am to determine precisely whether this species be the Red-headed Wigeon, Pochard, or Dun bird of England, I have not been able to ascertain the point to my own satisfaction.” / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175758#page/130/mode/1up
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Redhead
Current Scientific Name
Anatidae | Aythya americana
