WEC243
Ducks of Florida1
Emma Willcox and William Giuliano2
Birdwatchers and hunters alike enjoy
encountering the many species of ducks living on
fresh and salt water across the state of Florida. This
document provides information for those individuals
wishing to learn how to identify these often beautiful
and colorful birds. It also provides information on
their natural history.
Ducks, which along with the swans and geese
belong to the family Anatidae, can be divided into
three types: the dabbling ducks, the diving ducks, and
the sea ducks/mergansers. Representatives of each of
these ducks can be seen in Florida and are described
below. For each species, information is provided on
their habitat, appearance, and range. We have
included information on duck reproduction as well,
although all but one of the ducks described migrate
north to breed, only wintering in Florida. As is the
case with many bird species, male ducks are the most
easily recognized due to their distinctive patterning
and coloration. Females are typically drabber and
less distinguishable. Therefore, this document
provides characteristics for identifying the males of
each species only, along with photographs of both the
males and females where available. It should be
noted that outside the breeding season males may
appear duller than described and shown in images.
Dabbling Ducks
Dabbling ducks feed primarily on the waters
surface by straining water through their bills and
upending their bodies to reach deeper food items. As
a result of these feeding habits, they prefer to occupy
shallow ponds, creeks, lakes, wetlands, sloughs, and
marshes. They will also feed while walking on land
by picking up food with the tips of their bills.
Dabbling ducks commonly eat seeds, aquatic
vegetation, rice, aquatic invertebrates, and some small
fish.
Dabbling ducks ride high in the water and are
able to launch themselves directly upward when
taking off. They do not need to run across the water
to build up speed for takeoff as diving ducks do. They
are also excellent swimmers, sure-footed on land, and
swift, agile fliers.
The dabbling ducks include species with a wide
range of plumage patterns. The males are typically
brightly colored, while the females tend to be colored
with a mixture of mottled browns. Species
commonly found in Florida include the gadwall,
mallard, mottled duck, blue-winged teal,
green-winged teal, wood duck, and American
wigeon.
1. This document is WEC243, one of a series of the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date May 2008. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Emma V. Willcox, Graduate Student; and William M. Giuliano, Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist; Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of
Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and
other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry
Arrington, Dean
Ducks of Florida
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
The gadwall is common on fresh water and
sheltered salt water ponds, sloughs, wetlands, and
marshes. Gadwalls are typically observed swimming
in pairs or small groups, often interspersed with
American wigeon.
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- Breeds from southeastern Alaska to the Great
Lakes southward to Texas and California. Greatest
breeding densities occur in the prairie states and
provinces.
- Winters in southern half of the US and
southward to Mexico and Cuba.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground and
lined with vegetation and down
- Incubation period 24-27 days by female
- Clutch size 7-15 white to dull cream eggs
- First flight at 48-56 days old
Figure 1. Male gadwall. Credits: Glen Smart/USFWS.
- 1 brood per year
Mallard (Anas Platyrhynchos)
The mallard is one of the most familiar
waterfowl species in the world and is very common
throughout Florida. It can be found almost anywhere
shallow fresh water occurs with some birds residing
in salt water marshes and bays.
Figure 2. Female Gadwall. Credits: Dave Menke/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Medium sized duck
- Gray body
- Brownish back
- Brown head and neck
Figure 3. Male mallard. Credits: Dave Menke/USFWS.
- Dark bill
- Hind end black
- White patch in wing visible in flight may be
hidden at rest
- Size 46-57 cm (18-22 in)
- Wingspan 84 cm (33 in)
• Range:
Figure 4. Female mallard. Credits: Tim Bowman/USFWS.
• Description of male:
Ducks of Florida
3
- Large duck
- White sides and underparts
- Purple-chestnut breast
- Shiny green head
- Back of wing shiny blue with white line in
front and behind
- Legs orange
- Size 50-65 cm (20-26 in)
- Wingspan 82-95 cm (32-37 in)
• Range:
- Breeds from Alaska to Nova Scotia southward
to Mexico, northern Texas, Tennessee, and northern
Georgia.
- Winters from southern Canada southward to
Gulf Coast, northern Florida, and into northern
Mexico.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground and
lined with vegetation and down
Figure 5. Male mottled duck. Credits: Luther
Goldman/USGS.
- Head and neck light brown with fine dark
streaking
- White underwing lining
- Greenish-blue at back of wing
- Yellow-green bill in males
- Size 44-61 cm (17-24 in)
- Wingspan 860 cm (339 in)
• Range:
- Resident breeding and wintering from Florida
to Gulf Coast of northern Mexico. Introduced to
coastal South Carolina.
- Present in Florida all year round.
- Incubation period 23-30 days by female
• Reproduction:
- Clutch size 1-13 creamy to greenish buff eggs
- First flight at 52-72 days old
- 1 brood per year
Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)
The mottled duck is a duller version of the
mallard that occupies the southern marshes and
coastal prairies of the US. The species is in danger of
being displaced by the commoner mallard duck as a
result of hybridization.
• Description of male:
- Large duck
- Dark brown body with buff mottling
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground and
lined with vegetation and down from the females
breast
- Incubation period 24-28 days by female
- Clutch size 5-13 white to greenish white eggs
- First flight at 60-70 days old
- 1 brood per year
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors)
The blue-winged teal is found on shallow ponds.
After the mallard, it is the second most abundant
duck in North America. Members of this species
travel great distances between breeding and wintering
grounds, up to 7000 miles.
Ducks of Florida
4
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground and
lined with vegetation and down from the females
breast
- Incubation period 22-27 days by female
- Clutch size 6-14 creamy white eggs
Figure 6. Male blue-winged teal. Credits: Dave
Menke/USFWS.
- First flight at 35-49 days old
- 1 brood per year
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
The green-winged teal occupies shallow ponds
with emergent vegetation, tidal creeks, mudflats, and
marshes. It is one of the fastest and most agile ducks
on the wing, forming small flocks that wheel and
bank across the water.
Figure 7. Female blue-winged teal and brood. Credits:
John Hollingsworth/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Brown or gray overall
- Large light blue patches, visible in flight, on
front of wing
- Face gray-blue with white at base of bill
- Male with white crescent on face
Figure 8. Male green-winged teal. Credits: Donna
Dewhurst/USFWS.
- Bill blackish
- Legs and feet yellow
- Size 36-41 cm (14-16 in)
- Wingspan 56-63 cm (22-24 in)
• Range:
- Breeds across most of North America from
Alaska to the Atlantic Coast and as far south as Texas
and Louisiana.
- Winters in small numbers along the southern
coastlines of the US, from California and the
Carolinas Southward.
Figure 9. Green-winged teal pair. Credits: Dave
Menke/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Small duck found in North America
- Wings with iridescent green patches and white
stripe in front
Ducks of Florida
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- Yellowish tail stripe
- Male with dark reddish and green head and
white stripe up shoulder
- Bill blackish
- Size 31-39 cm (12-15 in)
- Wingspan 52-59 cm (20-23 in)
• Range:
- Breeds throughout Alaska and Canada,
southward to northern Great Plains and Great Lakes.
- Winters in lower two thirds of the US
southward to Mexico.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground and
lined with vegetation and down
- Incubation period 20-24 days by female
- Clutch size 6-18 cream, light olive, or buff eggs
- First flight at around 34 days old
- 1 brood per year
American Wigeon (Anas americana)
The American wigeon can be observed
occupying freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes,
and swamps. The species often forages for food in
flocks and can regularly be seen grazing in fields.
Figure 11. Female American wigeon and brood. Credits:
Donna Dewhurst/USFWS.
- Medium sized duck
- Reddish brown breast and sides
- Gray head
- Green eye stripe
- White forehead and crown
- Black tail feathers bordered by white
- Large white patch on wings
- Size 42-59 cm (17-23 in)
- Wingspan 84 cm (33 in)
• Range:
- Breeds throughout Alaska and Canada, south
into northern portion of the US.
- Winters from southern Alaska and British
Columbia along the Pacific Coast to California and
from southern US southward into northern South
American.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground and
lined with vegetation and down from the females
breast
- Incubation period 22-25 days by female
Figure 10. Male American Wigeon. Credits: Donna
Dewhurst/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Clutch size 3-12 white to creamy white eggs
- First flight at 45-63 days old
Ducks of Florida
- 1 brood per year
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
Often considered one of the most beautiful ducks
in North America, the wood duck occupies wooded
swamps and streamsides. It is one of only a few duck
species to nest in trees and, if tree cavities are
lacking, nest boxes
6
- Wingspan 66-73 cm (26-29 in)
• Range:
- Breeds from southern Canada, throughout the
eastern half of the US. In the West, breeds from
British Columbia southward along Pacific Coast to
southern California
- Winters in southern three-quarters of breeding
range, and in Southwest.
• Reproduction:
- Wood ducks nest in tree cavities or nest boxes
lined with down
- Incubation period 22-25 days by female
- Clutch size 6-15 creamy or dull white eggs
Figure 12. Male wood duck. Credits: Dave Menke/USFWS.
- First flight at 56-70 days old
- 1 brood per year
Diving Ducks
Figure 13. Female wood duck. Credits: Dave
Menke/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Medium sized duck
- Long pointed head crest
- White lines on black-green head and crest
- U-shaped white patch on face and neck
- Red, white, black, and yellow bill
- Burgundy breast with white
- spotting
Diving ducks typically frequent large, deep,
lakes, rivers, and coastal bays where they plunge
underwater to feed on fish, shellfish, mollusks and
aquatic plants. The large, broad, fully webbed feet of
these ducks, with their strongly lobed hind toes, act
as paddles. In addition, the location of their legs set
far back on the body and their relatively small wings
help improve diving efficiency. While these
characteristics help with their diving and swimming,
they hinder the ability of diving ducks to become
airborne. Instead of springing straight out of the
water into flight, as dabbling ducks are able to do,
they must run across the water to build up speed
before taking off. Their highly webbed feet and
position of the legs to the rear of the body make them
more awkward on land than the dabbling ducks.
Diving duck species often seen in Florida
include the canvasback, redhead, ring-necked duck,
greater scaup, and lesser scaup.
- Iridescent blue-green back
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
- Size 47-54 cm (19-21 in)
Canvasback ducks are typically seen in large
flocks on deep lakes and bays. They are also often
Ducks of Florida
observed in smaller numbers among flocks of scaup.
Canvasbacks are wary and swift in flight, often flying
high in V-formation.
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- Winters across much of the coastal and
southern US.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground or a
bowl of vegetation lined with down.
- Incubation period 23-29 days by female
- Clutch size 5-11 grayish or greenish olive eggs
- First flight at 56-60 days old
Figure 14. Male canvasback. Credits: Eugene
Hester/USFWS.
- 1 brood per year
Redhead (Aythya americana)
Although classified as a diving duck, the redhead
is often seen dabbling in shallow water. It is seen in
small numbers among flocks of mixed ducks in most
areas. However, in winter the species can form huge
flocks on lakes, bays, and lagoons.
Figure 15. Female canvasback. Credits: Tim
Bowman/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Large sleek duck
- Long sloping profile
- Whitish sides and upperparts
Figure 16. Male redhead. Credits: Dick Pospahala/
USFWS.
- Black breast and tail
- Rust red head and neck
- Long dark bill
- Red eye
- Size 48-56 cm (19-22 in)
- Wingspan 79-89 cm (31-35 in)
• Range:
- Breeds from Alaska to the Northwest
Territories southward to Nevada and Minnesota.
Figure 17. Female redhead and brood. Credits: Dave
Menke/USFWS
• Description of male:
- Medium sized duck
Ducks of Florida
- Rounded head
- Smoky gray sides and upperparts
- Black breast and tail
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often found in small flocks on small, tree-lined ponds
and shallow Florida lakes where they dive for plants
and seeds.
• Description of male:
- Rufous brown head and neck
- Medium sized duck
- Blue-gray bill with black tip
- Bump or peak on back of head
- Golden yellow eye
- Blue-gray sides and flanks
- Size 42-54 cm (17-21 in)
- Black breast, neck, and tail
- Wingspan 75-78 cm (30-31 in)
- Black head with purplish gloss
• Range:
- Breeds in central Alaska, the Great Plains, and
locally throughout the West. Also in scattered
localities around the Great Lakes.
- Winters in much of US and Mexico with open
water.
- Blue-gray bill with black tip and broad white
ring
- Orange-yellow eye
- Size 39-46 cm (15-18 in)
- Wingspan 62-63 cm (24-25 in)
• Range:
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a bowl of grasses lined with down
constructed on the ground or on a platform
- Incubation period 23-29 days by female
- Clutch size 9-14 pale olive, buff, or white eggs
- First flight at 56-73 days old
- 1 brood per year
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
- Breeds across Canada southward to the
northern US, and farther southward to northern
California and Colorado.
- Winters across the southern US, up the coasts,
and southward through Mexico, Central America,
and the Caribbean.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a bowl of grasses lined with down
constructed on the ground or a floating platform
- Incubation period 25-29 days by female
- Clutch size 6-14 olive, gray, or green-buff eggs
- First flight at 49-56 days old
- 1 brood per year
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
Figure 18. Male ring-necked duck. Credits: Lee
Karney/USFWS.
Ringed-necked ducks tend to favor sheltered
waters more than the other diving ducks do. They are
The greater scaup is found mainly along the
coast being seen less often inland. Big flocks of the
duck gather on open waters (lakes and saltwater
bays). On salt water it typically outnumbers lesser
scaup
Ducks of Florida
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Newfoundland to Texas. Also seen on the Great
Lakes and other unfrozen large lakes.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a depression scraped in the ground and
lined with vegetation and down
- Incubation period 24-28 days by female
- Clutch size 5-13 brownish olive-buff eggs
Figure 19. Male greater scaup. Credits: Donna
Dewhurst/USFWS.
- First flight at 35-42 days old
- 1 brood per year
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
Lesser scaup are common in large flocks on
ponds, lakes, and saltwater bays. It outnumbers
greater scaup on freshwater and in shallow water
habitats. It is one of the most abundant diving ducks
in North America
Figure 20. Female greater scaup and brood. Credits:
Donna Dewhurst/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Medium sized duck
- White sides and belly
- Finely barred gray flanks and back
Figure 21. Male lesser scaup. Credits: Dave
Menke/USFWS.
- Rounded black head with greenish gloss
- Blue-gray bill
- Black neck and breast
- Black tail
- Size 39-56 cm (15-22 in)
- Wingspan 72-79 cm (28-31 in)
• Range:
- Breeds from Alaska to Labrador, and in
scattered localities across Canada
- Winters primarily on Pacific and Atlantic
coasts from Alaska to Baja California, and from
Figure 22. Female lesser scaup. Credits: Dave
Menke/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Medium sized duck
Ducks of Florida
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- Medium gray barring on back and flanks
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
- Black breast and neck
The hooded merganser favors small lakes and
ponds, especially those surrounded by trees. In winter
it is also often found occupying ponds in coastal
marshes. The species almost never forms large flocks.
- Pointed black head with purple gloss
- Bluish gray bill with black tip
- Black tail
- Yellow eye
- Size 39-46 cm (15-18 in)
- Wingspan 68-78 cm (27-31 in)
Figure 23. Male hooded merganser. Credits: Tim
McCabe/USFWS.
• Range:
- Breeds from Alaska and western Ontario
southward to Minnesota, northern Colorado, and very
northern California.
- Winters across US where water is open,
southward through Caribbean and Central America to
northern South America.
• Reproduction:
- Nest is a bowl of grasses placed on the ground
or on a mound of vegetation over water and lined
with down
- Incubation period 24-28 days by female
- Clutch size 6-14 olive or greenish buff eggs
- First flight at around 55 days old
- 1 brood per year
Mergansers
Mergansers are large, crested, fish-eating diving
ducks. Their bills are slender and hooked with
serrated edges to help them grip their prey. As a
result they are also known as sawbills. Most species
are found in coastal areas but in Florida they have
also become established on inland lakes and rivers.
Mergansers have excellent diving skills and often
dive to considerable depths in search of food. They
are extremely tolerant of salt water and have compact
plumage with heavy down suitable for cold climates.
Two merganser species are seen in Florida, the
hooded merganser and the red-breasted merganser.
Figure 24. Female hooded merganser. Credits: Glen
Smart/USFWS.
Description of male:
- Small to medium sized duck
- Chestnut sides
- Black back with white stripes
- White breast with two black bars
- Fluffy white fan-shaped crest
- Black head and tail
- Black bill
- Size 40-49cm (16-19 in)
- Wingspan 60-66 cm (24-26 in)
Range:
- Breeds in British Columbia, Oregon, Montana,
Saskatchewan, and the Dakotas to the Atlantic Coast,
Nova Scotia, Louisiana and Florida.
Ducks of Florida
- Winters from Alaska to California, and
Arizona. Also from Minnesota, Ontario, and Maine
southward to Gulf Coast and Florida.
Reproduction:
- Hooded mergansers nest in tree cavities or nest
boxes. Nests are lined with downy feathers from the
chest of the female
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- Size 51-64 cm (20-25 in)
- Wingspan 66-74 cm (26-29 in)
• Range:
- Breeds across Alaska and northern Canada
southward to very northeastern United States.
Winters along all coasts and in Great Lakes from
Alaska and Newfoundland southward to Mexico.
- Incubation period 26-41 days by female
• Reproduction:
- Clutch size 5-44 white eggs
- First flight at around 55 days old
- Red-breasted mergansers nest in tree cavities or
nest boxes. Nests are lined with downy feathers from
the chest of the female
- 1 brood per year
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
- Incubation period 26-41 days by female
- Clutch size 5-44 white eggs
In winter the red-breasted merganser is usually
found occupying salt water lagoons and bays where it
is often observed around coastal jetties and beaches.
It typically flies fast and low over the water.
Figure 25. Male red-breasted merganser. Credits: Dave
Menke/USFWS.
• Description of male:
- Small to medium sized duck
- Gray wavy-lined sides and flanks
- Black upperparts
- Spiked black crest
- Blackish head with green gloss
- Narrow hooked serrated red bill
- Streaked chestnut breast to waterline
- First flight at around 55 days old
- 1 brood per year