Canvasback (Can)
Male - Winter
Body: Large duck, up to 3 pounds, 18-21 inches
long. Grayish white with heavy vermiculation. Black chest and rump.
Head and neck burnished red. Forehead slopes into elongated black bill.
Eyes red. Feet gray. Wings: Grayish white coverts and tertials. Pearl gray speculum; remainder dark gray. Voice: Croak, peep and growl. In Flight: Feet outstretched beyond tail. Elongated neck and body. White belly contrasts with black chest and rump.
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Canvasback (Can)
Male - Fall
Ranging from mottled grayish brown to near-winter coloration. Head brown. Eyes, bill, feet and wings same as in winter.
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Canvasback (Can)
Female - All Seasons
Body: Mottled gray-brown. Head, neck and rump
brown. Belly white. Whitish area around eyes and at base of bill. Eyes
black. Bill black. Feet gray Wings: Similar to male. Voice: Quack.
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Red Head
Male - Winter
Body: Medium-sized duck, 2 - 2 1/2 pounds, 20-22
inches long. Back and sides grayish. Chest and rump black. Belly white.
Head rounded and rusty red. Bill gray with white band toward tip. Feet
gray. Eyes lemon yellow. Wings: Grayish brown with faint white flecking. Speculum dull pearl gray with faint white trailing edge. Voice: Deep meow or purr In Flight: Rapid wingbeat. Flock usually flies low in well-formed V. White belly contrasts with black chest and red head.
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Red Head
Male - Fall
Ranging from brownish gray with faint reddish head and neck to
blotchy near-winter appearance. Eyes, bill, feet and wings same as in
winter.
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Red Head
Female - All Seasons
Body: Mottled gray-brown with dusky white belly.
Pale area at base of bill and around dark brown eyes. Bill and feet
similar to male but lighter. Wings: Similar to male but less flecking. Voice: Loud squawk or quack. |
Lesser Scaup
Male - Winter
Body: Medium-sized duck, 1 3/4 - 2 pounds, 15-18
inches long. Gray vermiculated back with white sides and belly. Head
purple-black. Chest and rump black. Eyes yellow. Bill light blue, short
and broad. Feet gray. Wings: Dark brown with white flecking on coverts and tertials. Speculum white. Voice: Purr. In Flight: Rapid wingbeat. Dark head and chest contrast with white belly |
Lesser Scaup
Male - Fall
Ranging from bluish brown to blotchy near-winter coloration. Belly
whitish. Head dark with scattering of white at base of bill. Bill,
eyes, feet and wings same as in winter. |
Lesser Scaup
Female - All Seasons
Body: Dull brown with distinct white belly. Prominent white patch at base of bill. Eyes yellow. Bill and feet similar to male. Wings: Dark brown with minute white flecking on coverts. Speculum white. Voice: Purr or silent. |
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Ring-Necked Duck (Ringbill, Blackjack)
Male - Winter
Body:
Medium-sized duck, 1 1/2 - 2 pounds, 16-18 inches long. Black back,
chest and rump with white crescent on side. Belly white. Head blackish
purple with distinct crest. Faint chestnut ring around neck. Eyes
yellow-orange. Bill gray with white band at base and toward tip. Feet
grayish blue. Wings: Greenish-glossed coverts. Speculum pearl gray with faint white trailing edge. Voice: Purr. In Flight: Dark head, neck, back and rump contrast with white belly. Wingbeat fast. Flight formation open. |
Ring-Necked Duck (Ringbill, Blackjack)
Male - Fall
Ranging
from mottled brownish black with dusky white belly to near-winter
coloration. Faint white crescent on sides. Eyes, bill, feet and wings
same as in winter. |
Ring-Necked Duck (Ringbill, Blackjack)
Female - All Seasons
Body:
Blackish brown back. Brown head, neck and sides. Belly white. Whitish
eye-ring and face-patch. Eyes brown. Bill, feet and wings similar to
male. Voice: Occasional purr.
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Bufflehead (Butterball)
Male - Winter
Body: Small duck, up to 1 pound, 12-14 inches
long. White belly and sides with black back and dusky rump.
Puffy-appearing head with multicolored iridescence and fan-shaped white
patch. Bill short and bluish gray. Feet pinkish. Wings: Mostly black. Coverts and secondaries form large white patch. Voice: Squeaky whistle. In Flight: Small flighty bird. White belly. Puffy head. White head-patch and trailing edge of underwings evident. |
Bufflehead (Butterball)
Male - Fall
Ranging from a mottled grayish white to near-winter coloration.
Head puffy and brownish. White head-patch streaked with dusky black.
Bill, feet and wings same as in winter. |
Bufflehead (Butterball)
Female - All Seasons
Body: Grayish white with brown back, tail and
rump. Head puffy-appearing and brown with small white patch behind eye.
Bill and feet brownish gray. Wings: Brown with inner secondaries forming small white portion of speculum. Voice: Hoarse quack. |
Common Goldeneye (Whistler)
Male - Winter
Body: Medium-sized duck, 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 pounds,
17-20 inches long. Black back contrasts with white belly. Iridescent
green head. Eyes gold. Round white spot on cheek. Bill short and black.
Feet yellow-orange. Wings: Coverts and speculum form white patch; remainder of wing black. Voice: Piercing speer. In Flight: White on body. Dark head. White on trailing edge of underwings. Fast wingbeat causes distinct whistling sound. |
Common Goldeneye (Whistler)
Male - Fall
Ranging from dull gray appearance to blotchy near-winter
coloration. Head brownish green. White spot in front of eyes blotched
with brown. Eyes, bill, wings and feet same as in winter. |
Common Goldeneye (Whistler)
Female - All Seasons
Body: Mottled gray over back, chest and sides.
Throat and belly white. Brown head lacks white cheek-spot. Bill short
and black, occasionally with orangish tip. Feet yellow-orange. Wings: Dark with lesser and middle coverts gray; inner greater coverts and secondaries white. Voice: Low quack. |
Ruddy Duck (Ruddy, Spiketail)
Male - Fall and Winter
Body: Small duck, 1 - 1 1/2 pounds, 13-15 inches
long. Barred brown with lighter belly. Brown spike-like tail. Dark
crowned head. Grayish white to white face-patch. Bill and feet gray. Wings: Brownish with slight white flecking. Voice: Cluck. In Flight: Small, drab, stubby-necked bird. Rapid wingbeat. Reluctant flyer; flies low.
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Ruddy Duck (Ruddy, Spiketail)
Male - Spring and Summer
Rusty brown with barred brown, black and white belly. Tail brown.
Crown of head black. White face-patch. Bill bright blue. Wings and feet
same as in winter. |
Ruddy Duck (Ruddy, Spiketail)
Female - All Seasons
Body: Similar to male in winter but lighter
sides. Face-patch, often indistinct, with dark stripe. Bill, feet and
wings similar to male in winter. Voice: Occasional weak cluck. |
Barrow's Goldeneye
Body: Purple head with crescent-shaped white cheek-spot. Remainder of bird similar to Common Goldeneye. Note: Rare east of the Rocky Mountains. |
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