Duck Identification Chart - Full Colour illustrations and Descriptions

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Redheads breed in western Canada, Alaska, and western US states before migrating for winter to southern US states, the east coast of the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The female lays eight to ten eggs and incubates them for twenty-five days to a month. The young leave the nest after hatching and can already feed themselves. The female takes care of them for about three more weeks. The male shows somewhat of a domed head compared to the rounder head of Greater Scaup. In addition, the head is glossed mainly in dull purple rather than the dull green of the Greater Scaup. Lesser Scaup (female) Whether in the tundras of Canada or California, American Wigeons prefer wet meadows, wetlands, and flooded pastures for their foraging of grasses and sedges. Blue-winged Teal

Native to China, this exotic species is now more numerous in Europe, where it escaped from wildfowl collections. The male has amazing orange ‘sails’ – actually modified wing feathers. Mandarin, Aix galericulata/Credit: Getty Shoveler At first glance they appear to be a boring pale brown color but they have stunningly vibrant blue wings that are hidden away. Buffleheads breed mainly in Canada before migrating to the US, northern Mexico, and Canada’s Pacific coast. They can be seen during migration in the Midwest and the Appellations. Females are gray with a white collar and a dark brown head and wings with large square white patches. Distribution: Restricted to scattered areas of Scotland and the east of England in summer in only small numbers. Their significant winter population has an expanded range that includes much of the English coastline and parts of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.Mergansers will have straight, narrow, pointier bills that have a little hook or tip at the end. Their bills are serrated and help them hold onto slippery fish. You might not see those serrations from a distance, but you’ll likely notice the pointy bill shape from afar. Common and red-breasted mergansers will have slightly longer bills than a hooded merganser, but all mergansers will have a “thinner” looking bill. Females and non-breeding males have reddish-brown spiky crests, red eyes, long, red bills, white throats, and gray bodies.

These birds have a hook at the tip of the bill and lamellae along the edges to help grip fish, they specialise in diving for prey. Mallards upend in shallow water, feed from the surface, and sometimes dive. They also graze on dry land, and forage for food in fields and woodland. Females are brown with a white patch between each eye and bill.Both males and females have yellow eyes. Greater Scaups look very similar to Lesser Scaup except with rounder heads. Winter floods attract tens of thousands of wigeon, teal, pintails and mallards, plus Icelandic whooper swans. The Ouse Washes, The FensMallards remain all year in most of the lower 48 and the western coast of Canada and Alaska. Those that breed in Canada and Alaska head south to the southern United States and northern Mexico. Nesting takes place on the ground near the water’s edge. Natural nests tend to be in overhanging grass and made from anything the female can reach from her indentation of the earth. Female mallards will not carry material from anywhere else to their nest. Interestingly, mallards accept artificial nesting structures, such as homemade nests from homeowners and farmers. Mallard females lay 1-13 eggs 1-2 times each year. Gadwalls feed themselves by dabbling in shallow water. They submerge their heads until they can reach for plants and other vegetation underwater. They may occasionally feed on insects, too. You may also like: Meet the 23 Different Types of Foxes and Where to Find Them: Description, Images, and More! Navigation during Migration

Distribution: During the summer, pochards are most likely found along the east coast of England but in the winter they can be seen along almost all of the UK coastline, as well as on large lakes and estuaries inland.They can all be grouped into three different groups (dabbling, diving or perching) depending on their behavior. To dive deep into the water, buffleheads squeeze their wings and plumage close to their body to release any air, then give a small leap forward and plunge downward. Some species may be endangered or at risk. Accurate identification ensures that these species receive the necessary protection. Nesting happens on cliff ledges in small nooks and crannies, along with holes in trees. Occasionally, a nest is on the ground. Nests of Northern Pintails are usually found in shallow hollows on the ground, close to a water source. They are made with grasses and feathers and serve as home to at least twelve eggs.