Red Legs
Tagen Lambotte for SPLIT REED
The birds dangling in a leather strap straddling the branch of a thick oak tree sported chests so thick they resembled a pillow. The beautiful colors seemed brighter than usual as the late January afternoon sun lit up the Kansas pasture pond. “See how dark red them legs are on that greenhead?” My buddy pointed to the full strap, “Them birds came from wayyyy up north. Saskatoon birds.”
We have all heard these claims drift through our blinds periodically. The old tale of the ‘Northern Mallard’. Larger in size, brighter in color, more robust plumage, and of course...red legs. But what is myth, and what is fact?
Myth: Red Legs are northern birds, particularly birds that nest in the northern prairies of Canada.
Fact: All mallard’s legs will eventually turn into a more reddish color. Whether they come from the swamps of North Carolina or the Valleys of California.
Myth: Red Legs are a separate demigod species of duck.
Fact: These ‘Red Leg’ mallards you see later into the hunting season that can seem to be twice the size of other ducks, are still the same drab brown skinnier mallards you saw on your uncle’s golf course last July.
As ducks begin to pair for mating, they will need to preserve fats. Drake mallards must possess the most vibrant plumage they can to win the affection of Miss Susie Q as well as be able to defend Susie as she forages for food. Susie must have enough fat preserves to successfully make it back to the northern breeding grounds and produce a healthy hatch of eggs. These fat preserves simply aren’t needed in the dog days of summer and early fall.
Myth: Colder temperatures up north make these ‘northern’ birds supply more blood to their feet for warmth, causing them to turn redder.
Fact: Not just ducks but all birds have what’s called a ‘counter-current ‘ circulation system. The blood flowing in the veins from the feet to the body run parallel to the arteries that are carrying warm blood from the body to the feet. The warm blood that is cooled off from the colder blood is pumped back into the body where it is warmed up again. So mallard legs don’t turn red from an overabundance of blood flow.
Conclusion:
While a Red-Legged mallard doesn’t migrate later into the season specifically from Canada, there is some biological reasoning for these accusations. The cause of the red leg tinge is created by an increase in testosterone which is triggered by shorter day lengths. Hence why we see more red legs later in the season. The deeper we dive into winter the shorter the days become, the colder the weather gets and more migrations take place.
The next time you are fortunate enough to bag a ‘Red Leg’ with a layer of fat just waiting to sizzle in the cast iron, thank those cold, short, ducky days that send waves of birds preparing for the long spring of breeding ahead.
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