Tag Archives: redhead duck

Out There with the Expert

Redhead Duck vs. Canvasback Duck ID

By Sally Siko

The best part about wintertime in North Carolina is the arrival of interesting waterfowl to our state.
Two such gems are these handsome Redhead and Canvasback ducks.
They are incredibly beautiful creatures and I’m always excited to see them whenever I travel to eastern NC.

Though at first glance the two species may look similar to one another, there are ways that you can tell them apart, even at a great distance.



The Redhead drake featured in the first 2 photos has a blueish bill with a black tip, an orangey yellowish eye, and more rounded “traditional duck” head profile.
The most distinctive ID point when viewed from far away is their gray back.



The Canvasback drake featured in the photos below have a black bill, ruby colored red eyes, and a unique triangular head profile.
 You can ID them easily from way across the water by their bright white backs.



From November through late March/early April, Redheads and Canvasbacks can be spotted paddling around in the shallow bays and marshes foraging for a an underwater snack of stems, seeds, and roots of aquatic plants: shoalgrass, pondweeds, and sedges at many of our coastal wildlife refuges.
There is plenty of time left for you to go see them this winter so get out there if you can!

By the way, I’ve added 80 new birding tour dates to my schedule so if you’d like to join me out there to see these beautiful ducks for yourself check the link in bio for details & booking info!

Photos by Sally Siko of @bestlife_birding captured on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina

Redhead Ducks in North Carolina

By Sally Siko

If there is one bird that who’s photo takes me back to great wintertime birding memories from the OBX, it’s this Redhead Duck!
I love the subtle but beautiful color palette of their cinnamon, black and grey plumage (especially paired with the blues and grays of a winter landscape) and the intense gaze of their orange eyes.



Redhead Ducks are a winter resident of North Carolina. Each November flocks of thousands of Redheads arrive in eastern NC to spend to coldest months in our (usually thawed) waters.
They are best found in shallow bays and marshes foraging for a an underwater snack of stems, seeds, and roots of aquatic plants: shoalgrass, pondweeds, and sedges at many of our coastal wildlife refuges.

One of my favorite things about Redheads are their calls. While most people are familiar with the typical “quacking” of ducks, Redhead ducks can make some unusual noises!
The female Redhead does makes a quack-like noise, but the male’s vocalization can sound like a cat’s meow or purr!
If you’ve ever stood by a pond filled with Redhead drakes, it sounds kinda like being around a bunch of broken cats lol!

Look for them later this year around Thanksgiving. Usually they’ll stick around until late March or early April before they head out to their breeding grounds in the western United States and western Canada.


Btw, if you’d like to buy this painted sign please visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/RiversideCreationsNC

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Redhead or Canvasback Duck?

The best part about wintertime in North Carolina is the arrival of interesting waterfowl to our state.
Two such gems are these handsome Redhead and Canvasback ducks.
They are incredibly beautiful creatures and I’m always excited to see them whenever I travel to the Pungo Unit or to the Pea Island NWR.

Though at first glance the two species may look similar to one another, there are ways that you can tell them apart, even at a great distance.



The Redhead drake featured in the first 2 photos has a blueish bill with a black tip, an orangey yellowish eye, and more rounded “traditional duck” head profile.
The most distinctive ID point when viewed from far away is their gray back.


The Canvasback drake featured in the photos below have a black bill, ruby colored red eyes, and a unique triangular head profile.
You can ID them easily from way across the water by their bright white backs.



From November through late March/early April, Redheads and Canvasbacks can be spotted paddling around in the shallow bays and marshes foraging for a an underwater snack of stems, seeds, and roots of aquatic plants: shoalgrass, pondweeds, and sedges at many of our coastal wildlife refuges.
There is plenty of time left for you to go see them this winter so get out there if you can!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds

Birding Trips and Tours North Carolina, Field Notes

Wintertime birding Pea Island: The redhead Duck

This sharp looking bird is called a Redhead Duck. As their namesake implies, they are quite easily identified among large mixed flocks of waterfowl sporting that crimson plumage.
I spotted quite a few of them here at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge swimming in the north pond near the visitors center.



Unlike many other species of diving ducks redheads more often spotted displaying dabbling duck behavior by dipping their head underwater or tipping up to feed on plants and small invertebrates.

During the winter, they can be found in slow moving or still bodies of freshwater,
foraging on plant seeds along the shoreline such as
tubers, grass, pondweeds, wild celery, bulrushes,
water lilies, and even wild rice under the water.



Their breeding range extends from central Alaska through southern Canada to the northern regions of the United States from Washington to Maine.
Many breed in the Prairie Pothole region of the northern Great Plains of North America.

In September, these ducks migrate to winter in the warmer climates found in central Mexico, along the coast of California to the Gulf and of course the Atlantic Coast including right here in eastern North Carolina.



You can find them in most of our southeastern coastal wildlife refuges through mid April. These handsome guys are well worth the effort to find them!

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds