You can't have a list of ducks without the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), arguably the most familiar and widespread duck in the Northern Hemisphere. Recognizable by the male's shimmering green head, yellow bill, and curled black tail feathers, the mallard is a "dabbling duck", meaning it feeds at the surface rather than diving. Mallards are highly adaptable and have colonized cities, rural ponds, and wilderness alike, forming the genetic basis for many domestic ducks.
In the western Americas, the cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera) brings a blazing hue to the marsh. The male's plumage is a rich cinnamon-red, particularly vibrant during the breeding season. This small dabbling duck inhabits shallow wetlands in western North and South America, migrating to Central and South America for the winter.
One of the easiest ducks to identify is the northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), with its oversized, spoon-shaped bill adapted for filtering tiny invertebrates and seeds from the water. Found across North America, Europe, and Asia, the male also sports a striking green head, white chest, and rusty sides.
Not all ducks rely on flashy colors. The gadwall (Mareca strepera) is subtly beautiful, with fine gray-brown plumage and a distinctive white wing patch visible in flight. Widespread in wetlands, ponds, and marshes, this dabbling duck is often overlooked despite being common.
Primarily native to Europe and Asia, the Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope) is a migratory species that occasionally crosses the Atlantic to winter in North America. Males have a handsome chestnut head with a creamy crown and a whistling call, often seen grazing on grassy shores like geese.
Moving into the world of diving ducks, the canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is a North American native with a long, sloping forehead and rich chestnut-red head. It is known for diving to feed on aquatic vegetation, especially wild celery.
Few ducks are as elegant as the northern pintail (Anas acuta), aptly named for its long, pointed tail. Its slim neck, graceful profile, and muted colors make it one of the most refined dabbling ducks, migrating across continents from the Arctic to the tropics.
The redhead (Aythya americana) is another North American diving duck, similar to the Canvasback but with a rounder head and slate-blue bill tipped in black. Its vibrant red head contrasts beautifully with its gray body and black chest.
The common eider (Somateria mollissima) is the largest duck in the Northern Hemisphere, a robust sea duck famous for its incredibly warm down feathers, which humans have long harvested sustainably for bedding. It is found along Arctic and subarctic coasts, where it thrives in cold waters and nests in colonies.
Finally, the bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) is a delightful little diving duck with striking black-and-white plumage (in males) and an oversized, fluffy-looking head. It is found throughout North America, and it nests in tree cavities and is admired for its nimble diving and buoyant surface swimming.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
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