All About DucksAll About Ducks

By: Cayse PerryBy: Cayse Perry

Black DucksBlack Ducks

Black Ducks are a Puddle Duck which Black Ducks are a Puddle Duck which means that they eat things that are on means that they eat things that are on the surface. They are a very big duck the surface. They are a very big duck and they have a blue feather on their and they have a blue feather on their wing. They are a relative of the green wing. They are a relative of the green head mallard. Black Duck breeds from head mallard. Black Duck breeds from the upper Mississippi River across to the upper Mississippi River across to the northeastern United States. the northeastern United States.

Green Head MallardGreen Head Mallard

The Green Head Mallard is the most The Green Head Mallard is the most recognize duck in America. It has a recognize duck in America. It has a beautiful blue patch on it’s wing and it’s beautiful blue patch on it’s wing and it’s green head makes it stand out from the green head makes it stand out from the rest of the ducks. The hen mallard is rest of the ducks. The hen mallard is brown so that she can sit on the nest and brown so that she can sit on the nest and predators will not see here.predators will not see here.

Wood duckWood duck

Male Wood ducks are a very colorful duck. Male Wood ducks are a very colorful duck. Their colors look like God painted them on. Their colors look like God painted them on. Male Wood ducks have a big crest on their head Male Wood ducks have a big crest on their head that leads from their eyes to the back of their that leads from their eyes to the back of their head. Male Wood ducks have brown, green, and head. Male Wood ducks have brown, green, and purple on there bodies.purple on there bodies.

Female Wood ducks are very plain. They are Female Wood ducks are very plain. They are brown and have a blue spot on there wing. brown and have a blue spot on there wing. Wood ducks Migrate on the Atlantic flyway which Wood ducks Migrate on the Atlantic flyway which is the fly way that we live on. is the fly way that we live on.

Green Winged TealGreen Winged Teal

The Green Winged Teal is the smallest North The Green Winged Teal is the smallest North American duck. Male Green Winged Teal have American duck. Male Green Winged Teal have a chestnut head and a iridescent green and a chestnut head and a iridescent green and purple patch extending from the eye to the nape purple patch extending from the eye to the nape of the neck. of the neck. Female Green Winged Teal are mottled brown Female Green Winged Teal are mottled brown with a dark brown line extending from the bill with a dark brown line extending from the bill through the eye. through the eye. Green Winged Teal breed from Alaska, across Green Winged Teal breed from Alaska, across Canada, into the Maritime Provinces, south into Canada, into the Maritime Provinces, south into central California, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, central California, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Cinnamon TealCinnamon Teal

Male Cinnamon Teal have a cinnamon red head, Male Cinnamon Teal have a cinnamon red head, neck, breast, and belly. The back, rump, upper neck, breast, and belly. The back, rump, upper tail coverts and tail are a dull brown and under tail coverts and tail are a dull brown and under tail coverts are black.tail coverts are black.Female Cinnamon Teal are often confused with Female Cinnamon Teal are often confused with female Blue Winged Teal. They have a duller female Blue Winged Teal. They have a duller blue shoulder patch, an overall rustier color and blue shoulder patch, an overall rustier color and are more heavily streaked. Cinnamon teal feed are more heavily streaked. Cinnamon teal feed on aquatic plants in, especially rush seeds, on aquatic plants in, especially rush seeds, pondweed seeds and leaves and salt grass pondweed seeds and leaves and salt grass seeds. They also feed on aquatic insects and seeds. They also feed on aquatic insects and mollusks. mollusks.

NorthernNorthern ShovelerShoveler

The Northern Shoveler has a very distinctive The Northern Shoveler has a very distinctive shovel shaped bill that makes It easy to identify. shovel shaped bill that makes It easy to identify. A Male Northern Shovelers have an iridescent A Male Northern Shovelers have an iridescent green head and neck, white chest and breast green head and neck, white chest and breast and chestnut belly and sides. Female Northern and chestnut belly and sides. Female Northern Shovelers have a light brownish head with a Shovelers have a light brownish head with a blackish crown and a brownish speckled body. blackish crown and a brownish speckled body. Northern Shovelers migrate through the Pacific Northern Shovelers migrate through the Pacific flyway which goes through California.flyway which goes through California.

American WigeonAmerican Wigeon

Both male and female Wigeon have bluish black Both male and female Wigeon have bluish black bill. Male American wigeons have a white patch bill. Male American wigeons have a white patch from the forehead to about half way down the from the forehead to about half way down the crown and an iridescent green band from the crown and an iridescent green band from the eye to the back of the head.eye to the back of the head.Female Wigeon have a gray head and a brown Female Wigeon have a gray head and a brown chest and side. chest and side. Wigeon are grazers and forage on grasses and Wigeon are grazers and forage on grasses and seeds in wet meadows and pastures.seeds in wet meadows and pastures.

Northern PintailNorthern Pintail

Pintails are long, slender and fast earning them the nickname Pintails are long, slender and fast earning them the nickname greyhound of the air.greyhound of the air.Male pintails have a chocolate brown head with a white strip on Male pintails have a chocolate brown head with a white strip on each side of his neck extending up from the white breast and each side of his neck extending up from the white breast and belly. belly. Female Pintail have a dark brown upper body with a buff or Female Pintail have a dark brown upper body with a buff or gray head and lower body. The speculum is a dull brown or gray head and lower body. The speculum is a dull brown or bronze. bronze. Northern Pintail are the first duck to migrate south in the fall Northern Pintail are the first duck to migrate south in the fall and north in the spring. Pintails once were one of the most and north in the spring. Pintails once were one of the most abundant ducks in North America but have suffered a abundant ducks in North America but have suffered a disturbing decline since the 1950s. In 2009, the breeding disturbing decline since the 1950s. In 2009, the breeding population was estimated at 3.2 million birds, way below the population was estimated at 3.2 million birds, way below the North American Waterfowl Management Plan objective of 5.5 North American Waterfowl Management Plan objective of 5.5 million. million.

West Indian Whistling DuckWest Indian Whistling Duck

The West Indian Whistling Duck is a large duck The West Indian Whistling Duck is a large duck with relatively long legs that extend beyond the with relatively long legs that extend beyond the tail in flight. The upperparts are mostly brown tail in flight. The upperparts are mostly brown with pale edgings to the feathers; the rump and with pale edgings to the feathers; the rump and tail are blackish. The chest is more or less tail are blackish. The chest is more or less rufescent, with the posterior underparts white, rufescent, with the posterior underparts white, spotted with black, on the sides. The bill is black spotted with black, on the sides. The bill is black and legs are greenish. The West Indian whistling and legs are greenish. The West Indian whistling duck is endemic to the Caribbean, and formerly duck is endemic to the Caribbean, and formerly widely distributed but now extinct in many parts widely distributed but now extinct in many parts of its range, decreasing almost everywhere. The of its range, decreasing almost everywhere. The West Indian whistling duck is common located in West Indian whistling duck is common located in Cuba.Cuba.

Ruddy duckRuddy duck

Ruddy ducks are distinctive. They have a short, Ruddy ducks are distinctive. They have a short, thick neck; chunky body, stubby wings and a thick neck; chunky body, stubby wings and a fan-shaped tail composed of stiff feathers. fan-shaped tail composed of stiff feathers. Male Ruddy Ducks have a Blue bill they also Male Ruddy Ducks have a Blue bill they also have a white patch that extends from there bill to have a white patch that extends from there bill to a little behind the neck all around that is black a little behind the neck all around that is black and they have a brown body and a black tail.and they have a brown body and a black tail.Female Ruddy Ducks are all brown and have a Female Ruddy Ducks are all brown and have a black bill. black bill. Ruddy Ducks breed in the prairie region of North Ruddy Ducks breed in the prairie region of North America, as well as the Intermountain West.America, as well as the Intermountain West.

CanvasbackCanvasback

Male Canvasback have many colors on Male Canvasback have many colors on their body. They have a dark red head their body. They have a dark red head and neck, a grayish back, and a brownish and neck, a grayish back, and a brownish black tail. black tail. Female Canvasbacks are have a light Female Canvasbacks are have a light brown head and neck with a dark brown brown head and neck with a dark brown chest and forehead. chest and forehead. Canvasbacks breed in the Pirate pothole Canvasbacks breed in the Pirate pothole region of North America. region of North America.

Hooded MerganserHooded Merganser

The Hooded Merganser is the smallest of three The Hooded Merganser is the smallest of three merganser species. merganser species. Male Hooded Merganser has a large white head Male Hooded Merganser has a large white head and chest surrounded by black. The top of the and chest surrounded by black. The top of the head and back are all black and the chest breast head and back are all black and the chest breast and belly are white.and belly are white.Female Hooded Mergansers have a gray –Female Hooded Mergansers have a gray –brown neck and a reddish-brown crest. brown neck and a reddish-brown crest. Hooded mergansers breed mostly in Hooded mergansers breed mostly in southeastern Alaska.southeastern Alaska.

Red HeadsRed Heads

Male redheads have a reddish head and redheads have a reddish head and upper neck with a black lower neck, upper neck with a black lower neck, foreback and breast.foreback and breast.

Female Redheads have a reddish brown Female Redheads have a reddish brown heads, necks, and breast with a buff white heads, necks, and breast with a buff white chin and throat and an indistinct eye ring chin and throat and an indistinct eye ring and stripe behind the eye. and stripe behind the eye.

Duck callsDuck calls

Click on the link below to here all the calls Click on the link below to here all the calls of the ducksof the ducks

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowlgallhttp://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowlgallery.aspxery.aspx

Bufflehead Bufflehead

Male Buffleheads have a white patch across the back of Male Buffleheads have a white patch across the back of there heads that extends from cheek to cheek to form a there heads that extends from cheek to cheek to form a bushy crest and the rest of the head is blackish with an bushy crest and the rest of the head is blackish with an iridescent green and purple sheen. iridescent green and purple sheen.

Female Buffleheads have a brownish head and neck, Buffleheads have a brownish head and neck, except for an oval white patch that extends from below except for an oval white patch that extends from below the eye back towards the nape of the neck. the eye back towards the nape of the neck. Buffleheads breed from southern Alaska through the forested Buffleheads breed from southern Alaska through the forested areas of western Canada, central Ontario and eastern Quebec. areas of western Canada, central Ontario and eastern Quebec. Female Buffleheads lay about nine eggs in each nest.Female Buffleheads lay about nine eggs in each nest.

Common GoldeneyCommon Goldeney

Common Goldeney get there name from there Common Goldeney get there name from there yellow iris. yellow iris. Male Goldeneyes have blackish iridescent green Male Goldeneyes have blackish iridescent green heads with a white circular patch between the heads with a white circular patch between the eye and the base of the bill.eye and the base of the bill.Female Goldeneyes have chocolate brown Female Goldeneyes have chocolate brown heads, a whitish neckband, and speckled gray heads, a whitish neckband, and speckled gray back and sides. back and sides. Goldeneyes breed Goldeneyes breed across the Goldeneyes breed Goldeneyes breed across the forested areas of Canada, Minnesota, Michigan, forested areas of Canada, Minnesota, Michigan, Alaska and the northeastern United States. Alaska and the northeastern United States.

Spectacled EiderSpectacled Eider

Male Spectacled Eiders are striking, with a pale Male Spectacled Eiders are striking, with a pale green head, bright orange bill and the green head, bright orange bill and the characteristic white spectacle-like patches characteristic white spectacle-like patches around the eyes. around the eyes. Female Spectacled Eiders are a tawny color, Female Spectacled Eiders are a tawny color, similar to the female king and common Eider, similar to the female king and common Eider, with a gray-blue bill and light brown spectacles with a gray-blue bill and light brown spectacles around their blue eyes.around their blue eyes.They feed on mollusks and crustaceans in They feed on mollusks and crustaceans in shallow waters and may forage on pelagic or shallow waters and may forage on pelagic or free-floating amphipods that are concentrated free-floating amphipods that are concentrated along the sea-water/pack-ice interface. along the sea-water/pack-ice interface.

King EidersKing Eiders

MaleMale King Eiders have a black lower back, rump, King Eiders have a black lower back, rump, scapulars, tail coverts, breast, belly and sides. scapulars, tail coverts, breast, belly and sides. The tail is brown-black and the bill is orange, The tail is brown-black and the bill is orange, sweeping upward into an orange frontal shield. sweeping upward into an orange frontal shield.

FemaleFemale King Eiders are tawny-brown, barred King Eiders are tawny-brown, barred with dusky brown chevrons "V" marks that can with dusky brown chevrons "V" marks that can be similar in color to common eidersbe similar in color to common eiders. .

The main places the King Eiders migrate are The main places the King Eiders migrate are Alaska, Adelaide Peninsula that is in Canada. Alaska, Adelaide Peninsula that is in Canada.

Harlequin ducksHarlequin ducks

Male Harlequin Ducks are very distinct and can Male Harlequin Ducks are very distinct and can be confused with no other waterfowl species. be confused with no other waterfowl species. There mane color is a deep slate blue, enlivened There mane color is a deep slate blue, enlivened by white stripes, crescents and spots on the by white stripes, crescents and spots on the head, neck and scapulars. The sides and flanks head, neck and scapulars. The sides and flanks are chestnut colored. The bill is blue-gray with a are chestnut colored. The bill is blue-gray with a pale nail and the legs and feet are grayish.pale nail and the legs and feet are grayish.Female Harlequin Ducks are brown with two Female Harlequin Ducks are brown with two patches of white one above the bill and the other patches of white one above the bill and the other is half way between there eyes and neck.is half way between there eyes and neck.They dive and catch crustaceans and mollusks, They dive and catch crustaceans and mollusks, insects, small fish to feed on. insects, small fish to feed on.