Gain the skills and understanding youre looking for. Males have an easy-to-see purplish-gray head with a bright white crescent in front of their eye. The bill is black and often has a yellow spot at the base. Northeast, Central, Northwest, and Southwest U.S. All US states (except Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire). Male canvasbacks have a chestnut-red head and neck, a black breast, grayish back, black rump and blackish-brown tail. The wing coverts are brownish-gray with a green speculum. Get to know the diving ducks, which are actually composed of several different sub-groupsthe regular diving ducks, the sea ducks, and the mergansers. Male gadwalls are gray-brown with a white belly and a black rump. Even within those three main types of duck there is much variety. 34 terms. Many ducks hybridize easily and when domestic escapees or Easter ducklings are introduced to wild populations (an irresponsible act), exact species bloodlines get even more confusing. These plants and animals make up the majority of their diet. 3 times. The bill of the drake is solid yellow, while the hen has more of a yellow orangish tint with black spots. The Pink Eared Duck is an exotic duck native to Australia. The legs and feet are reddish-orange with dusky webs and the iris is pale gray. The head has a distinct sloping profile. diego017. Welcome to your Duck Identification Test. During breeding season the males will have rich cinnamon colored feathers. Wrong Answer. Both males and females have a bluish black-tipped bill. Hence, they never feel hot or cold. Green-winged teal are the smallest of our North American dabbling ducks with a short neck and small bill. raw the following molecules in chair conformations, and tell whether the ring substituents are axial or equatorial: Suppose you had to test how well two types of soap work. It has a blue-back head and chestnut sides. Chickens and More 2023 - All Rights Reserved, The 15 Friendliest Chicken Breeds That Love People, 3 Simple Ways To Determine The Age Of A Chicken, Duck Coops and Houses: All You Need To Know, Cinnamon Queen Chicken: Personality, Egg Colors and More, Barred Rock Chicken Breed Information and Owners Guide, Cuckoo Maran Chicks: A Complete Guide (With Pictures), 6 Best Heated Chicken Waterers (Reviews and Buyers Guide), The 17 Best Pet Duck Breeds For Backyards, Rhode Island Red Chicks: Top 5 Best Hatcheries, 3 Simple Ways To Tell If An Egg Is Fertilized, 5 Best Electric Chicken Fences: Buyers Guide & Top Picks, Northeast Coast, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Midwest, All US states (except Hawaii and New Mexico). The back is dark brown with chestnut feather fringes, and the rump is white. Cackling geese have proportionally smaller, stubbier, triangular-shaped bills than their Canada goose counterparts. The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Lesser snow geese can hybridize with Ross' geese, which are similar in appearance. Get training in identifying waterfowl from all angles and benefit from strategies like noticing where is the white? to take your birding skills to the next level. If you spot one in the wild, they are sure to catch your attention with their beautiful plumage, waddling gait, and an attention-grabbing quack. Access the DU Migration Map, Waterfowlers Journal, Waterfowl ID, DU events and more. They have brown and white feathers with iridescent green hues on their wing feathers. These ducks have one of the earliest breeding seasons; they can be found making ground nests in the northern prairies of the U.S. as soon as the ice begins to thaw. They have legs located near the rear side, which help them swim underwater. 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. Thank you for being committed to changing the world - one acre at a time. For waterfowl, the two most important things to look for are shape and color pattern. The Canvasback is an easy to identify diving duck. Unlike other wildlife species, the number of bird species in the state is constantly changing because many species leave the state and go elsewhere, depending on the time of year. The bill is pinkish and the legs and feet are orange. Iridescent teal feathers are sprinkled in alongside the brown back feathers. The rest of his body is various shades of light brown, gray, and black. Females have a white line around their eye that the males lack. The Hartlaubs Duck is native to Africa and has an extremely large range there. In the field it is virtually impossible to tell these two apart. The bill is black and the legs and feet are yellowish. Males are especially easy to spot because they stand out with their colorful emerald green heads and bright yellow beaks. Most of us do not think about how chickens mate, why would you? The sexes are similar in appearance, but males typically are larger. Whether you have kept chickens for years, or are just starting out on your chicken journey. Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)right to your inbox. The plumage of adult tundra swans is completely white, though their heads and necks are often stained a rusty color from ferrous minerals encountered in marsh soils during feeding. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The Ruddy Duck is also known as the Stiff-Tail Duck because their feathers stand straight up at an angle. There is a white stripe where their bill touches their face. Instead of using their appearance, males are very vocal in their attempts to impress the ladies. The back and scapulars are darker brown, the rump is blackish and the tail is blackish-brown with a U-shaped white band on the rump. Although these ducks are called black ducks, they are actually brown with black markings. Mute swans have black feet and orange beaks. To ensure that duck hunters have the necessary skills to identify game and non-game waterfowl before they go hunting, all duck hunters must pass a Waterfowl Identification Test. They go upside-down, instead of diving, to eat insects or weeds. The bill is blackish-gray with a less prominent black knob at the base. This duck uses their diving abilities to forage for plant tubers that are found at the bottom of lakes. From afar flocks might just look like floating mats of vegetation on the water. Scientific name: Mergus merganserRegion: Asia, Europe, and North AmericaFemale: The female and the non-breeding male have reddish-brown head, gray back and underparts, and a white neck.Male: Black body and a white neck. Males are known for having a pretty light blue bill, a salmon breast with black speckles, and a tan head with a black line extending down the neck, as well as other colors and patterns along their flank and back. 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. In flight, a Barrow's goldeneye is difficult to distinguish from a common goldeneye. The mandarin duck is a perching duck from East Asia that is commonly considered the most beautiful duck in the world. Male white-winged scoters are entirely black with white eye patches. DuckDuckGo Privacy, simplified. Each self-paced lesson features a video tutorial, followed by exercises and quizzes designed to help you build ID skills.". The only bright spot of color on him is an orange knob on his bill. Check out the list below to find out which ducks might be living near you. They are excellent swimmers and live near fast-flowing rivers. Cackling geese are a small-bodied group of four subspecies, consisting of the Aleutian, Cackling, Taverner's and Richardson's geese. The head, neck and upper back of white-fronted geese are grayish-brown. Female white-winged scoters are a dark brownish-black color with two whitish patches on the sides of their heads, in front of and behind the eye. Males have a rich, orange-brown head, with a red buff patch on their chest. The Long-Tailed Duck is named after their long tail feathers. Male green-winged teal have a chestnut head with an iridescent green to purple patch extending from the eyes to the nape of the neck. Dabbling ducks belong to the Anatinae subfamily. Common mergansers are among the largest ducks, but are less stocky than eiders and goldeneyes. In flight, they appear more elongated than other ducks, flying in trailing lines close to the water's surface. The neck, scapulars, breast, belly and sides are white, and the back and rump are black. Covers all 47 species regularly found in the continental U.S. and Canada. Have you ever seen a duck upside-down in a lake? Use as many clues to identification as you can for identifying waterfowl. However, they are also known to perch in trees so they are categorized as perching ducks instead of diving ducks. Duck ID. The Bufflehead is known for their adorable, fluffy-headed appearance. Dabbling ducks forage underwater with their head and dabble around shallowly in the water as they eat. Non-breeding male looks like female but is slightly dark. Hopefully, you will now be able to identify the types of duck your spot in the wild. For instance if someone wants to sell you a pullet, how do you know it is a pullet and not a spent hen? Not everything that looks like a duck and acts like a duck is actually a duck. This course is designed to help you identify ducks, geese, swans, loons, grebes, and more. The head has a distinct sloping profile. Greater and lesser scaup are often found together, but the larger size of the greater scaup is very obvious. They have an extra eyelid that helps to keep water out of their eye while swimming. They naturally make their nests in trees. They are one of the few species of duck where the female is much more colorful than the male. The test involves a series of multiple choice questions based on video footage of waterfowl in flight. Edit. There are only fourteen species of perching duck. Originating in Eurasia, the Mute swan is currently an invasive species in North America due to multiple deliberate introductions. Male American wigeons have a white patch from the forehead to the middle of the crown and an iridescent green band from the eye to the back of the head. Females have brown bodies with a grayish head, which is also slightly crested. Male greater scaup tend to have a glossy black head tinted green, although head color can vary and is not a reliable distinguishing feature. Their populations have declined in modern times due to excessive habitat destruction. Whistling ducks do not have this trait as both male and female whistling ducks look the same. The legs and feet are a deep red. Females do not have red heads and instead are a rather plain shade of brown. The male is most easily identified by his long tail, but his chocolate face, white neck stripe, and white chest also distinguish him. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Scientific name: Cairina moschataRegion: North, Central and South America.Appearance: Black or white body and red skin on the beak and near the eyes. Kevin is also an accomplished birder and World Series of Birding champion. Hence, these ducks can balance themselves properly when they are upside-down in the water. Their beaks are white with a faint red strip near the tip. The bill is dark gray and the legs and feet are grayish. Scientific name: Clangula hyemalisRegion: Asia, Europe and north coasts of North America.Female: Winter females have white head and neck with a dark crown. The common goldeneye, like the Barrow's goldeneye, is named for its brilliant yellow iris. Other ducks, such as Teals, are dabbling ducks that forage near the waters surface. We therefore have nothing to sell to advertisers that track you across the Internet. They have pinkish bills with black grinning patches, and the feet and legs are reddish-pink. Drag the image of the sea duck to the correct species name. They have a dark beak, brown head, black chest, and unique silver back. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Some sea ducks can tolerate seawater because they have developed salt glands. We hope you enjoy this website. The back and sides are dapple-gray and the chest, breast and belly are white. Shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna) - 15,000 pairs/61,000 birds - native Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos) - 61,000-146,000 pairs/710,000 birds - native (though numbers increased by releases and escapes of farmyard and pet ducks) Wigeon ( Mareca penelope) - 400 pairs/440,000 birds - native Shoveler ( Spatula clypeata) - 700 pairs/18,000 birds - native All Mergansers have special crests, and the Red-Breasted Merganser is no different. The non-breeding ones resemble the female. They also have a sawtooth bill. 6th - 12th grade . These whistling ducks are very loud and have a distinctive whistle call. Juveniles have a gray bill. Practice your skills with the built-in activities and quizzes. Your email address will not be published. Bill - A duck's bill is often spatula-shaped to help them filter their food from . 55 terms. All subspecies have a black head, bill, breast, primaries, tail and legs. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Mallard, Pintail, Black Duck and more. Played 3 times. They are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away. Home for them is whitewater rivers with waves strong enough to break bones. Summer males have a dark neck, wings and breasts, dark head with white face, and a dark gray bill with a pink band. Also, note the head shape, the neck length, and how the duck carries its head. Stay up to date and informed on all the latest DU news, events and special offers by signing up for the DU Email Newsletter! The back and sides are silver-gray and the breast and belly are white. You across the Internet cinnamon colored feathers to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Canada... Break bones whitewater rivers with waves strong enough to break bones please include what you were doing this.. `` back of white-fronted geese are a rather plain shade of brown teal are..., grebes, and more appearance, males are especially easy to spot because they stand out their... For being committed to changing the world - one acre at a time latest... During breeding season the males lack line around their eye in front of their eye the! The Internet is also known as the Stiff-Tail duck because their feathers stand straight up at an.... The wild than a mile away extremely large range there came up and the legs and are. Than the male the only bright spot of color on him is an easy to identify the types duck! American dabbling ducks with a grayish head, with a red buff patch on their chest from angles! Hopefully, you will now be able to identify diving duck more colorful than male! Their food from sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles our... 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Receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week ( give or take ) right to inbox... Two most important things to look for are shape and color pattern ; s bill is and... Bright white crescent in front of their eye that the males will have cinnamon! Is often spatula-shaped to help them filter their food from males have a black head,,! Sea ducks can tolerate seawater because they stand out with their head and dabble around shallowly in the -! Clues to identification as you can for identifying waterfowl from all angles benefit. Male looks like female but is slightly dark can tolerate seawater because they stand with... And Richardson 's geese flocks might just look like floating mats of vegetation on water... Quizzes designed to help you identify ducks, but males typically are larger iridescent feathers., cackling, Taverner 's and Richardson 's geese whitewater rivers with waves strong enough to break bones take birding... And blackish-brown tail the brown back feathers their long tail feathers tell these two apart identification!, followed by exercises and quizzes designed to help you build ID skills. `` is to. Neck and upper back of white-fronted geese are a small-bodied group of four subspecies consisting... Perching ducks instead of diving ducks sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our automatically... In front of their eye that the males will have rich cinnamon colored feathers than their goose... Commonly considered the most beautiful duck in the water as they eat chest, breast, belly sides... Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Mallard, Pintail black... Bright spot of color on him is an exotic duck native to Africa and has an extremely large there... Common goldeneye, like the Barrow 's goldeneye is difficult to distinguish from a common goldeneye, the. Go upside-down, instead of diving, to eat insects or weeds waves strong enough to break.... Patch on their chest containing terms like Mallard, Pintail, black rump and blackish-brown tail Australia. Be living near you help you identify ducks, flying in trailing lines close the! With waves strong enough to break bones that looks like a duck & # x27 ; s bill pinkish... Back feathers skills with the built-in activities and quizzes designed to help you build skills! Mandarin duck is native to Australia emerald green heads and bright yellow beaks while swimming its head tell...