All Ducks Page 2
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Harlequin
Length--17 in. Weight--1½ lbs. Glossy slate-blue plumage enlivened by white stripes and spots give the adult male harlequin a striking appearance. The female resembles a small female scoter. At a distance, both sexes look black. Flight is swif... Hooded Merganser
Length--18 in. Weight--1½ lbs. Often seen in pairs, or very small flocks. Short rapid wingstrokes create an impression of great speed. Winters in the inland waters of all coastal States; seldom goes to salt water. Voice: Seldom heard in ... Identification Is Important
Identifying waterfowl gives many hours of enjoyment to millions of people. This guide will help you recognize birds on the wing--it emphasizes their fall and winter plumage patterns as well as size, shape, and flight characteristics. It does not i... Mallard
Length--24 Weight--2¾ lbs. The mallard is our most common duck, found in all flyways. The males are often called greenheads. The main wintering area is the lower Mississippi basin, and along the gulf coast, but many stay as far north as open ... Oldsquaw
Length--20½ in. Weight--2 lbs. A slim, brightly plumaged sea duck. Smaller than the scoters or eiders. Flight is swift and low with constantly changing flock formations. Ranges along both coasts and the Great Lakes. One of the most vocal ... Pintail
Length--26 Weight--1¾ lbs. These ducks use all four flyways, but are most plentiful in the west. They are extremely graceful and fast fliers, fond of zig-zagging from great heights before leveling off to land. The long neck and tail make ... Puddle Ducks
Puddle ducks are typically birds of fresh, shallow marshes and rivers rather than of large lakes and bays. They are good divers, but usually feed by dabbling or tipping rather than submerging. The speculum, or colored wing patch, is generally ir... Red-breasted Merganser
Length--23 in. Weight--2½ lbs. These birds winter most abundantly in coastal waters, including the Gulf of Mexico, and to a lesser extent, the Great Lakes. Their flight, strong and direct, is usually low over the water. They are difficult t... Redheads
Length--20 in. Weight--2½ lbs. Range coast to coast, with the largest numbers in the Central Flyway. Migratory flocks travel in V's; move in irregular formations over feeding areas. Often found associating with canvasback. In the air, they ... Ringneck
Length--17 in. Weight--2½ lbs. Similar in appearance to scaups, but more often found in fresh marshes and wooded ponds. In flight, the dark wings are different from the white-edged wings of scaup. Faint brown ring on drake's neck never show... Ruddy
Length--15½ in. Weight--1-1/3 lbs. The ruddy duck often dives or swims away from danger rather than flying. When flying, their small wings stroke so fast they resemble bumblebees. They are early to mid-fall migrants. Drakes often cock the... Scaup
Greater--Length--18½ in. Weight--2 lbs. Lesser--Length--17 in. Weight--1-7/8 lbs. Except for the wing marks, greater and lesser scaup appear nearly identical in the field. The light band near the trailing edges of the wi... Shoveler
Length--19½ Weight--1½ lbs. Shovelers, 'spoonbills' to many, are early migrants, moving out at the first frost. The largest numbers are in the Central and Pacific flyways. The usual flight is steady and direct. When startled, the small floc... Snow Geese
Length--29-31 in. Weight--6½-7½ lbs. Two races of snow geese are recognized: greater snows along the Atlantic Coast, and lesser snows elsewhere on the continent. Blue geese are a color phase of the lesser snow. ... Surf Scoter
Length--19½ in. Weight--2 lbs. Like all scoters, these birds move along our coasts in loose flocks, stringing into irregular, wavy lines. Drakes can be distinguished from other scoters by two white patches on their head and the bright color of...