The bill is gray-black and the legs and feet are dull yellow-brown. They are preys to many predators like big birds, crocodiles, snakes, foxes, etc. The back is dark brown with chestnut feather fringes, and the rump is white. A distinctive white "V" separates the brownish-black tail from the dark-colored back. You have probably also heard some people call ducks domesticated. Ross' geese may be distinguished from snow geese by their smaller size, more rapid wing beat and higher-pitched call. The male Barrow's goldeneye has a glossy purplish head with a crescent-shaped white patch between the eye and bill. Scientific name: Somateria mollissimaRegion: Asia, Europe and North AmericaFemale: Brown in colorMale: Black and white body with a green nape. 1 2 3 4 5 What species of duck is in the photo? Gift certificates are a great way to give the bird enthusiasts in your life something that supports and encourages theirpassion. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. These whistling ducks are very loud and have a distinctive whistle call. Females are less colorful and are only found in brown. This means the ducklings need to make a forty foot leap of faith after only one day of life. Females are somewhat similar in appearance but do not have a white spot, and have a darker flank. The dark back contrasts with the white neck, breast and belly. The greater snow goose is a slightly larger version of the white-phase lesser snow goose. DIVING DUCKS A bufflehead walking on water A scaup diving Diving ducks belong to the subfamily Aythyinae. The Eurasian Wigeon is usually not native to the United States; however, some individuals are known to have gotten mixed up with flocks of American Wigeons. Duck Identification DRAFT. Because of how they feed, they are called dabbling ducks. Female greater scaup are brown with white oval patches around their bills. The male American Wigeon has a charming appearance that you wont forget. Northern Pintails have a slender neck and elegantly pointed tail which gives them a regal appearance. These ducks can be found in shades of white, blue, and red! The male and female black duck are similar in appearance, but the male's bill is yellow while the female's is a dull green. The female mallard is a mottled brownish color and has a violet speculum bordered by black and white. When we think of ducks, we mostly picture the mallard ducks or those that are found in local ponds. Male white-winged scoters are entirely black with white eye patches. The head has a distinct sloping profile. In addition to these three main groups you may have also come across whistling ducks. Scientific name: Anas clypeataRegion: Asia, Europe, North America and rare in AustraliaFemale: Body is mottled brown with a long orange bill tinged with gray.Male: Breeding male has greenish-black head, chestnut belly, white breast, yellow eyes and a black bill. Male common mergansers have a greenish-black crested head and upper neck. Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchosRegion: Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe and AmericaFemale: Mottled brown and black eye-line.Male: The breeding male has a green head, white collar, gray wings, brown breast and yellowish-orange bill tipped black. The easiest way to tell the sex of a coot is its voice. The bill is red with a blackish culmen and nail. You must sign in or sign up to start the quiz. Female common goldeneyes have chocolate brown heads, a whitish neckband, and speckled gray back and sides. These plants and animals make up the majority of their diet. In flight, an iridescent greenish-black speculum is displayed. The main difference is that males have red eyes, whereas females have black eyes. The Canvasback is an easy to identify diving duck. Perching ducks are different from dabbling ducks and diving ducks in that they can be found perching in trees. The sexes are dimorphic, with the female being 6 percent smaller than the male. Ducks at a Distance - A waterfowl identification guide designed to help you recognize birds on the wing. Kevin is also an accomplished birder and World Series of Birding champion. She has an orange-red belly and cheeks, with a bright red beak. Take this quiz and learn more about these birds. In the field it is virtually impossible to tell these two apart. The Bufflehead is known for their adorable, fluffy-headed appearance. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Sandhill cranes are long and tall with thick heavy bodies. They are quick and can also dive if needed. Now that you know about the different types of ducks, you may be wondering what the most common duck species are. See how well you score on our duck identification quiz below. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. And, the color to pay special attention to is white. This course introduces you to the birds found in the Northeastern United States through a series of recorded lectures and online quizzes. Female common mergansers have a tufted red-brown head that is clearly defined from the lower neck by a clear whitish chin. At first glance they appear to be a boring pale brown color but they have stunningly vibrant blue wings that are hidden away. They have a dark beak, brown head, black chest, and unique silver back. The bill is blue-gray blotched with black, and the legs and feet are slate-gray. Learn about our scholarship program. Females in reddish plumage have russet-brown heads, necks, chests, backs, sides and flanks, with a much redder tinge than female American wigeons. The upper wings are brownish-black with the middle five secondaries colored white. Whistling ducks are not actually ducks. Male canvasbacks have a chestnut-red head and neck, a black breast, grayish back, black rump and blackish-brown tail. This course features 6 lessons containing more than 3 hours of video instruction, 21 quizzes, and 2 puzzles. Ducks can swim in the water even when the weather is freezing. Scientific name: Aythya collarisRegion: North America and rare in South America and Europe.Female: Brown body with gray-brown head, white ring near the tip of the bill and a white ring around the eyes.Male: Shiny black body with gray sides and white ring near the tip of the bill. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The bill is orange splotched with brown, and the legs and feet are orange. Females have a white line around their eye that the males lack. Eurasian wigeons often can be found in the company of American Wigeons. Understanding the physical features of species of ducks helps outdoor nature enthusiasts and birders identify ducks quickly and accurately.. Crown - Just like humans., the crown is the very top of the head. 55 terms. Similar to the Blue-Winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal ducks also have a hidden patch of powder blue feathers on their shoulder. However, trying to identify them all can be tricky. The only bright spot of color on him is an orange knob on his bill. Female Harlequin ducks resemble female buffleheads: Except for the three white spots on the head, the hen's basic color is black-brown. The chest is pinkish-brown with black speckles, and the back, sides and flanks are vermiculated gray, separated from the chest by a white bar. Female Wigeons are more plain. Wood Ducks are perhaps the most ornamental duck in the United States. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Shockingly, x-rays taken of wild Harlequin Ducks show that most adults have in fact broken and re-healed multiple bones throughout their life. The sides of the head, neck, chest and belly are a rich rufous-buff, with the sides of the neck paler, almost whitish, with fine dark striations. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Also, diving ducks are mostly found in deep waters where it is seen that the ducks often float low where only their neck and little bit of their back is seen. Scientific name: Anas carolinensisRegion: North AmericaFemale: Mottled brown body with dark eye-line.Male: Green eye-patch, chestnut head, and gray back. 93% average accuracy. The neck, breast and upper mantle are glossy black, and the flanks and belly are white, sometimes with gray vermiculations on the lower flanks. The upper wing surface is blackish-brown, except for the inner and middle secondaries and inner greater coverts, which are white, tipped with black. Long-Tailed Ducks are excellent divers that primarily live along the Northern Ocean cost. They are excellent mothers and are often used to hatch duck eggs. Today, there are both feral populations and domesticated populations. The bill is blue-gray with a pale nail and the legs and feet are grayish. Lesser snow geese have two color phases: a dark (blue) plumage and a white (snow) plumage. Learn strategies for identifying birds at a glance from a World Series of Birding champion. The white greater coverts are tipped with black, forming a black band between the white speculum and the white patch on the greater coverts. In North America, two subspecies of brant are recognized, mostly due to differences in plumage characteristics. The bill, legs and feet are black and the iris is dark brown. Indian runner ducks. They probably looked quite silly with their head underwater and their tail feathers pointing towards the sky. Learn More. Both males and females have golden eyes and blue-gray bills. Check out the list below to find out which ducks might be living near you. Use as many clues to identification as you can for identifying waterfowl. The course contains a series of interactive quizzes so you gain valuable practice in waterfowl ID along the way. This is a capable diving duck that can quickly disappear under the surface of the water at a moments notice if they need to. Experience wildlife in action through DU's photo gallery. Duck ID. Learn anytime, anywhere*. Drag and drop the photo of the merganser to the correct species name. The rest of their feathers are various shades of brown. Some ducks such as mergansers are diving ducks that live in deep waters so they can hunt fish. The crown of the head is dark brown with a dark brown stripe running through the eye. The iris is bright red in the spring, but duller in the winter. In the hand, the larger size and longer bill of the greater snow goose distinguish it from its smaller counterpart. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. However, they currently have two different breeding populations. She is a light tan color with darker brown markings, including a dark brown smudge around her eye. A fairly large duck, noticeably larger than teal but much smaller than a Canada Goose. Results are being recorded. Male Mandarin Ducks are one of the most brightly colored ducks to exist. Summer females have brown upper parts and light wings.Male: Winter males have a white head and neck with a dark cheek patch. They have white and black striped body feathers that appear gray from a distance. Scientific name: Anas cyanopteraRegion: Western USFemale: Mottled brown body, pale brown head, and brown eyes.Male: Cinnamon-red head, neck, breast and belly; brown back, red eyes, yellow legs, and a black bill. Female blue-winged teal have a brownish-gray head with a darker crown and eye stripe. Saxony ducks. Juveniles can range from the typical white plumage to a grayish brown plumage. These ducks are one of the oldest domesticated ducks. Brant are small, dark geese that have large wings, which give them their characteristic strong flight. The back, rump, uppertail coverts and tail are a dull brown and the undertail coverts are black. Edit. They also dive to catch aquatic invertebrates to eat. The bill, legs and feet are black. The long, narrow bill with serrated edges readily distinguishes mergansers from all other ducks. Regardless of age, the Mute Swan is a very aggressive species and will attack native waterfowl as well as species as large as humans. 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