The hooded merganser is the last living merganser in the genus Lophodytes (crested diving ducks). This flycatcher prefers to look for prey on perches near water. They are strong swimmers but also great runners that can cross the muddy banks they are commonly found in with ease. Hooded mergansers are small diving ducks native to North America and they come with a striking appearance. Juveniles and non-breeding males are chocolate brown with varying degrees of white coloring on their breasts and backs. This North American breed range extends across the forested Canada regions and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. In the last decade, their numbers have been seriously dropping due to habitat loss and hunting; these ducks are now listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Tufted Duck is black and white waterfowl of the Anatidae family. The females are grey with white cheeks and a reddish-brown head. They are about 7 inches long and have a thick, white head and strong beak. They have two black bars on their chests, and their lower backs have white stripes. Long-tailed Ducks breed in the far north of Canada and Alaska and across northern Europe and northern Asia. The Magpie duck is a British domestic duck breed. The wings and tail are also black. They are kept for ornamental purposes, for eggs, and for meat. Muscovy ducks are also widely domesticated throughout North America and can be found on farms and in parks. Livestock Trailer Rental | Can You Rent a Livestock Trailer? Wood ducks are black and white duck breeds that are easily identified by their distinctive plumage. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. They are monogamous for a season and the pair will have a clutch of 5-10 brownish-orange eggs. If you are having trouble identifying ducks with white heads in North America then check out this guide about the eight that can be spotted here. They build nests out of mud and line them with leaves. On average, they lay between 6-14 eggs per nesting with an incubation period of 26-27 days. The male weighs 6.5 pounds, while the female typically weighs 5.5 pounds. Females have brownish plumage, white eye-rings, white edges on inner wing feathers, and iridescent bluish-purple speculums. It has black and white markings all over its body, from the wings to the beak. They are common in pairs or larger groups, inhabiting waterbodies with lots of aquatic vegetation (freshwater wetlands, small ponds, and even farm dams). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. They are carnivores and feed on mollusks, spider crabs, sea urchins, fish eggs, and marine worms. Both types of Muscovy Ducks have the same red, wart-like spots on their faces. These diving ducks measure 15 to 18 inches long and weigh 17 to 32 ounces. They are quieter than other eider species but will make soft guttural calls that resemble growls and barks, qua-haa sounds, and repetitive cackling sounds. White-headed ducks are omnivores and have a diet consisting of plants, seeds, small fish, snails, and crabs. They can be seen during migration in the Midwest and the Appellations. Females are reddish-brown all-over with black barring on their breasts, backs, and wings. In the winter, they move to protected coastal waters or shallow bays and inlets. They build their nest on the ground in areas close to water with dense sedges and grasses. Youll find isolated populations of this breed in the western United States, but they are more common in the aspen parklands and boreal forests of Alaska and Canada. White-headed ducks are an unusual-looking duck species with white heads and long tails. The black feathers on their backs have green iridescence, their faces have red warts, and they have dark grey bills and feet. They can be found inNorth Americato the northeast of Europe and Iceland, reaching Alaska and the Pacific Coast.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'farmandchill_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_4',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-farmandchill_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); The Crested Ducks (Lophonetta specularioides)have large, heavy bodies, making them poor fliers. Source: Pascal Christe,CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. They are nicknamed baldpates due to the white foreheads and crowns the males have. People hunt them in New Zealand as game birds from May to July, but despite that, paradise shelducks have a population of around 600,000 to 700,000 individuals. The ten most commonly seen black and white ducks are: Black Swedish Magpie Muscovy Ancona Pomeranian Crested Cayuga Black Runner Call Duck Duclair Black and White Ducks Black Swedish Ducks One of the most recognizable black and white duck breeds is the Black Swedish. Ancona ducks have plumage with two-toned, black and white feathers. Its the second smallest merganser. Their bills and feet are yellow with some black patches. Basic Description. They don't mind people and are comfortable in suburban areas. Silver Appleyard ducks are large and sturdy dual-purpose with males having greenish-black heads and females having silver-white heads, yellow bills, chestnut-white bodies, black tails, and orange to red feet. Both genders have black bills and black and grey feet. Ruddy ducks are omnivorous and feed on insects, crustaceans, and aquatic plants; they will also dive to grab food. They breed in the Arctic, in tundra and taiga regions; they winter along the northern coasts of the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. dark brown. Its named after the Ancona breed of chicken, which is also black and white. Their nesting sites are in small islands in lakes, particularly with grasses and marshes near the waters edge. They will usually mix with other wintering birds in coastal waters and can form flocks exceeding 100,000 birds. Their plumage is generally black with a white belly and a black spot at the back of their heads. These white-headed ducks are omnivores and feed on plants, mollusks, small fish, and insect larvae. Buffleheads are one of the smallest diving ducks in North America weighing from 9.5 to 19.4 oz. American White Ibis 12. Knob-billed ducks, also known as African comb ducks, are unmistakable and one of the largest species of ducks in the world. Tufted ducks will eat plants such as seeds, grains, nuts, and tubers, and animals such as mollusks, fishes, and insects. Which Angora Rabbit Is Best for You to Raise? They prefer to breed in small, forested ponds and estuaries with lots of aquatic vegetation. American wigeons breed from April to May around wetlands, ponds, lakes, marshes, and rivers of Northern Canada and northwestern parts of the USA (including Idaho, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington). They measure 20-28 inches in length, weigh 1.8-6.7 pounds, and span 31-43 inches across the wings. The Muscovy breeds are genetically distinct from other ducks as most domestic ducks descend from themallard, but not the Muscovy. Long-tailed ducks, also known as oldsquaws, are medium-sized sea ducks with rounded heads and small beaks. Muscovy ducks are omnivores and feed on small fish, snails, seeds, and larvae. With plenty of free time spent bird watching, shes a true expert on these intriguing animals. Males weigh 2.2 pounds (1 kg) and are 1820 inches (45-50 cm) long, and females weigh 1.8 pounds (800 grams) and are 16-20 inches (40-50 cm). This is a reference to the oddly bulbous shape of the species white heads. They have green and purple heads and crests, traced with white lines. Silver Appleyard ducks grow up to 9 pounds and lay around 200 to 270 eggs per year. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. A version was bred by John Hall and Roy Sutcliffe in the United Kingdom, called the Crested Miniature, as the head deformation is very popular in Europe. Their wings can extend up to 25 inches wide. If that doesnt work, they will run back to the males and encourage them to deal with the intruder. Male Buffleheads are easily recognizable because of the huge white patch on their head behind their eyes. The Common Murre, also known as the "Common Guillemot", are large alcids who are found in Canada, Oregon, Greenland, Iceland, New England, southern Norway, Britain, and Northern Ireland. In 1977, Magpie ducks became recognized by the American Poultry Association. The black wing tips are visible in flight. (with 2 Treat Recipes), https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bufflehead/, https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/magpie, https://www.beautyofbirds.com/magpieducks.html, https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/poultry-101/all-about-ancona-ducks/, https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/anconaduck, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Muscovy_Duck/, https://www.breedslist.com/pomeranian-duck.htm, https://domesticanimalbreeds.com/pomeranian-duck-breed-everything-you-need-to-know/, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aythya_fuligula/, https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/tufted-duck/, https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Scaup/. Moreover, theyre also calleddabbling ducksas they rarely dive into the water and only swim and feed on the water surface. They normally feed on waterweed, water insects, and plant seeds. Youll rarely find Anconas flying. Stellers eiders are omnivores and feed on small aquatic animals, insects, and seeds. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. They also spend all year in southwestern Canada. Stellers eiders are the smallest, rarest, and fastest of all the other eider species. After that, these migratory white-headed ducks move to winter in protected coastal waters and open inland waters of the east and west coasts of North America and the southern parts of the USA. The black shoulder patches are also apparent in flight. Males have a mainly white head with a black crown, blue bill, and a chestnut-colored body. Males and female ducks often look different especially during the breeding season, so it can be difficult to identify them. Females resemble female wood ducks and have white eye rings and stripes on their heads, brown backs, and pale bill tips. At distance, look for this species' distinctive, peaked head to help you identify it. Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) are fish-eatingducks that gracefully float down on small rivers or shallow shorelines. On average, they lay 70-100 white or blue eggs every year. Interestingly, males court the females in silence. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. You can find Hooded Mergansers in freshwater lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers. Buffleheads are not domesticated ducks so they cannot be kept as pets. Theyre migratory birds, spending their summers breeding in Alaska, Canada, Siberia, and other Northern parts of Europe. They may have green and red-hued markings on their . Can Goats Eat Bananas? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Magpie Ducks have short tails, which makes it easy to identify when flying overhead. TheAncona(Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) is adomestic duckbreed distinguished by a distinctive and irregular broken-colored plumage pattern. These are diving ducks that feed mainly on aquatic vegetation under the water. Theyre diving ducks, meaning they dive for food. Males have bold colors with white markings and a vibrant red eye, while females are gray with a white teardrop-shaped eye ring. They feed on aquatic plants, seeds, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. According to come estimates, ruddy shelducks have a global population of 170,000-225,000 birds. How Much Does a Duck Cost? Furthermore, they have white throat and neck and chestnut brown breasts with some presence of white flecks. Males are twice the female size and measure around 30 inches in length and can weigh up to 15 pounds. The Magpie duck is also called a witch or black magpie because of its black and white feather patterns like black and white witches. The 10 weve featured are the Magpie, Anacona, Muscovy, Crested, Tufted, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, and Wood duck. White-headed ducks are small diving ducks with unique-looking heads and bills. These ducks are native to the East Indies and entered the United States around the mid-1800s. Theyre all characterized by having a mix of black and white feathers, though they still stand out amongst each other. Identify males by their low breathy calls and females by their quiet trilling coo. During the winter, they move to large breaks in the sea ice or polynyas. When they hatch, a mother will call the ducklings that jump from their nests which can be as high as 30 feet from the ground. Greater scaups can be identified by their black heads and blue bills. They breed in lakes with open water and dense vegetation in Europe (Spain), northern parts of Africa, and western and central parts of Asia. They breed in lakes with open water and dense vegetation in Europe (Spain), northern parts of Africa, and western and central parts of Asia. Common Eiders are large sea ducks with sloping foreheads. In winter, they settle in locations with rocky seafloors to easily forage for mollusks. During migration, they visit a wide range of habitats, like open water, coastal bays, and tidal creeks. Ancona ducks may have originated from either Great Britain or the United States in the early 1900s. Male hooded mergansers have black upperparts, white breasts, chestnut flanks, and large heads with prominent white patches. A buoyant, large-headed duck that abruptly vanishes and resurfaces as it feeds, the tiny Bufflehead spends winters bobbing in bays, [] On land, they typically feed oninsects and plant matter. The Bufflehead duck is a black and white duck breed that originates from North America. Misfit Animals is reader-supported. 1. The eggs can also be tan, cream, spotted, or blue. Here are 20 of the most interesting ones. Bufflehead ducks are the smallest diving ducks in North America, and they are commonly seen around lakes and ponds. They entered the United States in the mid-1800s. Due to the shorter size of their beaks, they can exert more force at the tip and pluck vegetation more easily. Wild Muscovy ducks have escaped int the wild. They catch mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic insects, which they eat while underwater. They have white necks and bellies. To find out more about me and my team visitabout Farm and Chill page. Wild ducks are glossy, dark-colored, and with a less-obvious white wing patch. Due to changes in the Arctic climate, predation, diseases, and lead poisoning, their numbers have decreased, and are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. This breed is also known as the black-and-white duck due to the black-and-white coloring of the body and the head. You can't mention this duck's distinctive features without including its crest shaped like a fan (which also collapses). (3 Things to Never Feed Them), 9 Common Texas Insects That You Should Know About, 7 Blood-Sucking Bugs That Might Live In Your House, Types of Flying Insects & Bugs (Identification), 7 Most Poisonous or Venomous Bugs in the World. Muscovy ducks are one of the largest breeds in the waterfowl category. Females are all-brown, ranging from light brown to dark brown. Their highest population can be found on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. These ducks with white heads inhabit rivers, wetlands, lakes, open grassy areas, and farmlands. The average height of an adult Tufted Duck is only about 16-18 inches (40.6-45.7 cm) and they weigh around 1.6 to 2 pounds (750-900 grams). Most of their plumage is white, but you'll find black patches accenting their cheeks, face, cap, back, sides, wings, and shoulders. Also known as Burdekin ducks (after the river in Australia), radjah shelducks are large ducks found in northern Australia and New Guinea. They can be found in North America to the northeast of Europe and Iceland, reaching Alaska and the Pacific Coast. Common eiders are known for the insulating quality of their feathers; these ducks will line their nests with their own feathers to keep the eggs warm. Affiliate Disclosure They breed in wetlands, lakes, and rivers of southeastern Europe and Central Asia and winter in streams, sluggish rivers, ponds, flooded grassland, marshes, and brackish lagoons of Southern Asia. A study from 2007 describes how punctual buffleheads are as they return to wintering grounds on the Pacific coast within a narrow margin of time each year. They have white patches on their wings and on the base of the tail. This hardy breed is raised for its meat and eggs. They usually come in blue and white, black and white, lavender and white, silver and white, chocolate and white, and multicolored. While we provide information, resources, and education, the content here is not a substitute for veterinary guidance. Identify hooded mergansers by their distinctive, rolling, frog-like crrroo calls. Mandarin ducks inhabit rivers, lakes, and parks with trees nearby. During that period, they can neither swim nor fly and have to remain on land. Males have white bodies, with black dotted wings. height 6 3/4in, length 8 1/2in. Its head, neck, breast, and back are black with white sides. You can find Buffleheads in small lakes and ponds with nearby poplar and aspen forests during the breeding season. During the breeding season, they are seen in and around freshwater lakes and ponds. They also have a light gray-blue bill with a dark tip. 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Shes a true expert on these intriguing animals dark tip breaks in the genus Lophodytes ( crested diving ducks.... Cc BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons they eat while underwater is not substitute! Grassy areas, and fastest of all the other eider species a striking appearance Association. A crossbreed are black with white sides for prey on perches near water with rocky seafloors to forage!