The Diversity of Ducks in the United States

The United States, with its extensive coastline, vast wetlands, and countless lakes and rivers, supports a tremendous variety of waterfowl. Birdwatchers can encounter over 40 distinct duck species across the 50 states, representing a spectacular array of feeding styles, breeding habitats, and plumages. These species fall primarily into two groups: Dabbling Ducks (which feed by tipping forward in shallow water) and Diving Ducks (which submerge entirely to catch food).

Here is a list of the ducks regularly seen in the US, along with identifying information and their primary ecological niche.

Dabbling Ducks (Genus Anas and Allies)

Dabbling ducks feed mainly on vegetation, seeds, and insects in shallow water. They take off almost vertically from the water.

Rather plain brown duck with paler marks on the feathers. — Gadwall

Common Name	Scientific Name	Key Identification & US Range
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ubiquitous in all 50 states. Green head (male), mottled brown (female), blue speculum (wing patch). Ancestor of most domestic ducks.
American Black Duck	Anas rubripes	Eastern US. Dark blackish-brown body, light head, violet speculum. Closely related to the Mallard.
Mottled Duck	Anas fulvigula	Southeast US (Florida, Gulf Coast). Uniformly dark brown body, similar to Black Duck but lacking contrast; yellow bill.
Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Widespread. Subtle gray-brown plumage; male has black rear end and a white speculum (key ID).
Green-winged Teal	Anas crecca	Widespread. Smallest US dabbling duck. Male has cinnamon head with a green eye-patch; green speculum.
Blue-winged Teal	Spatula discors	Widespread. Male has blue-gray head with a bold white crescent; large blue patch on forewing. Migrates south early.
Cinnamon Teal	Spatula cyanoptera	Western US. Male is entirely deep, rusty-cinnamon red; large blue patch on forewing (like Blue-winged Teal).
Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Widespread. Male has a long, elegant neck and a long, pointed central tail feather (pin-tail); chocolate brown head.
Northern Shoveler	Spatula clypeata	Widespread. Distinguished by its enormous, spatula-shaped bill used for filtering invertebrates. Male has green head, white chest, chestnut flanks.
American Wigeon	Mareca americana	Widespread. Male has a white crown ("bald" patch) and a green patch behind the eye; often grazes on land.
Wood Duck	Aix sponsa	Widespread, especially East/West Coasts. Highly distinctive; male has an iridescent, crested green and purple head and red eyes. Nests in tree cavities.
Falcated Duck	Mareca falcata	Rare vagrant. Primarily seen in Alaska/Aleutians, sometimes lower 48. Male has a complex, crested green head and long sickle-shaped tertials.

Largely brown duck with grayer head and white streak infront of the eye. — Green-winged Teal

Diving Ducks (Subfamily Aythyinae, Merginae, etc.)

Diving ducks hunt underwater, propelling themselves with their feet. They need a running start to take flight.

**A. Scaup, Ring-necks, and Canvasbacks (Aythya)**

Small colorful duck with black, white and mottled plumage and dark green head. — Greater Scaup

Common Name	Scientific Name	Key Identification & US Range
Canvasback	Aythya valisineria	Widespread. Male has a red head and a distinct sloping forehead-bill profile. White body, black chest.
Redhead	Aythya americana	Widespread. Male has a rounded red head and a slate-gray body. Often confused with the Canvasback, but lacks the sloping profile.
Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Widespread. Male is black and white with a subtle chestnut ring on the neck (hard to see) and a white ring on the bill (easy to see).
Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	Coastal/Great Lakes. Male has a rounded, often green-iridescent head; large white patch on the wing primaries.
Lesser Scaup	Aythya affinis	Widespread. Male has a more peaked, often purple-iridescent head; smaller white patch on the wing (less visible than Greater).

**B. Sea Ducks and Mergansers (Merginae and Allies)**

These species are often found on large bodies of water, including the ocean, Great Lakes, and large rivers.

Black duck with white patch on nape and forehead and orange and white bill. — Surf Scoter

Common Name	Scientific Name	Key Identification & US Range
Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	Coastal (rocky shores). Male is stunningly patterned with slate-blue, chestnut, and white crescent markings on the face and body.
Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	Coastal/Great Lakes. Male has striking white and black winter plumage and a long, thin central tail feather.
Black Scoter	Melanitta americana	Coastal. Entirely black body; male has a knob at the base of the yellow bill.
Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	Coastal. Entirely black body; male has a bizarre, large white patch on the nape and forehead and a wildly colored bill (orange, white, black).
White-winged Scoter	Melanitta deglandi	Coastal/Great Lakes. Black body; white patch around the eye; key ID is the large white wing patch visible in flight or on water.
Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Widespread. Small, buoyant diving duck. Male has an iridescent black-green-purple head with a huge white patch on the back of the head.
Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Widespread. Male has a dark, green-iridescent head with a circular white spot between the bill and eye.
Barrow's Goldeneye	Bucephala islandica	Northwest/Rocky Mountains. Male has a dark, purple-iridescent head with a crescent-shaped white patch between the bill and eye.
Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Widespread. Male has a large, striking white fan-shaped crest bordered in black. Smallest merganser.
Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Widespread (lakes/rivers). Male has a smooth, dark green head and a large white body. Long, thin red bill.
Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Coastal. Male has a shaggy, crested dark green head and a brown breast band; often found in saltwater.

Compact duck with black and white patterned body and glossy purple head. — Barrow's Goldeneye

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C. Other Ducks (Stiff-tails and others)

Rather plain brown ducks. — Hawaiian Duck

Common Name	Scientific Name	Key Identification & US Range
Ruddy Duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	Widespread. Stiff-tailed duck; male has a bright blue bill and a rusty-red body in breeding plumage; often holds its stiff tail cocked up.
Hawaiian Duck	Anas wyvilliana	Endemic to Hawaii. Uniformly dark brown, similar to the Mottled Duck. Critically endangered.
Laysan Duck	Anas laysanensis	Endemic to Hawaii (Laysan Island). Small, dark brown with a prominent white eye-ring. Critically endangered.

Bright brown duck with white cheeks and brilliant blue bill. — Ruddy Duck

Rare Visitors and Vagrants (Selected Species)

These ducks are not part of the regular breeding or migratory population but are occasionally observed, primarily in Alaska or along the coasts.

Dark brown duck with white wing panels and prominent tuft on the head. — Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula): Eurasian diving duck, occasionally seen on both coasts. Male has a distinctive droopy crest.
Garganey (Spatula querquedula): Eurasian dabbling duck, a rare visitor. Male has a broad white stripe over the eye.
Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope): Widespread vagrant, often found with American Wigeon. Male has a cinnamon head and a creamy forehead.
Smew (Mergellus albellus): Rare Eurasian merganser, occasionally seen in Alaska or the Northeast. Striking black and white plumage (male).
Baikal Teal (Sibirionetta formosa): Asian dabbling duck, a rare but sought-after visitor, usually in Alaska or the West Coast. Male has a spectacularly patterned green, yellow, and black head.
Falcated Duck (Mareca falcata): An Asian dabbling duck seen occasionally, usually in Alaska. Male has a highly ornate crest and sickle-shaped tertials.

This immense diversity underscores the importance of the US waterways as crucial habitats, supporting both common species and numerous rare and endemic avian treasures.

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