35+ Types of Ducks: Identification Guide (with Pictures)

Ducks are remarkable waterfowl that are commonly found throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

If you spot one in the wild, they are sure to catch your attention with their beautiful plumage, waddling gait, and an attention-grabbing quack.

Did you know that there are over 50 different types of ducks?

However, trying to identify them all can be tricky.

This article will serve as your identification guide to help you identify many of the common ducks that you are likely to come across. For each duck, we explain the difference in appearance between females and males and also include a picture identification chart.

Keep reading to learn more…

35 Most Common Types of Ducks

Did you know that there are more than 50 different species of ducks?

They can all be grouped into three different groups (dabbling, diving or perching) depending on their behavior.

Now that you know about the different types of ducks, you may be wondering what the most common duck species are. Check out the list below to find out which ducks might be living near you.

Duck	Type	Range	Rank
American Black Duck	Dabbling	Eastern U.S.	20
American Wigeon	Dabbling	All US states (except Hawaii)	18
Black Scoter	Diving	West coast and east coast	24
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	Whistling	Texas and Louisiana	34
Blue Duck	Perching	New Zealand	14
Blue-Winged Teal	Dabbling	All US states (except Hawaii)	29
Brazilian Duck	Perching	South America	33
Bufflehead	Diving	All US states (except Hawaii)	8
Canvasback	Diving	All US states (except Maine and Hawaii)	13
Cinnamon Teal	Dabbling	Western U.S.	15
Comb Duck	Perching	South America and Africa	30
Cotton Pygmy Goose	Perching	Asia	31
Eurasian Wigeon	Dabbling	Northeast Coast, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Midwest	23
Gadwall	Dabbling	All US states (except Hawaii)	12
Goldeneye	Diving	All US states (except Hawaii)	3
Greater Scaup	Diving	All US states (except Hawaii and New Mexico)	21
Harlequin Duck	Diving	Northwest and Alaska	11
Hartlaub’s Duck	Perching	Africa	35
Hooded Merganser	Diving	All US states (except Hawaii)	7
Long Tailed Duck	Diving	Northwest, Northeast, Alaska	22
Mallard	Dabbling	All US states (except Hawaii)	2
Mandarin Duck	Perching	California	6
Maned Duck	Perching	Australia	32
Merganser	Diving	Northeast, Central, Northwest, and Southwest U.S.	10
Mottled Duck	Dabbling	Gulf Coast	17
Muscovy Duck	Perching	Texas and Florida	4
Northern Pintail	Dabbling	All US states (except Hawaii)	19
Northern Shoveler	Dabbling	All US states (except Hawaii)	16
Pink Eared Duck	Perching	Australia	27
Red-breasted Merganser	Diving	All US states (except Hawaii)	25
Redhead	Diving	All US states (except Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire)	5
Ringed Teal	Perching	South America	26
Ruddy Duck	Diving	All US states (except Hawaii)	9
Torrent Duck	Perching	South America	28
Wood Duck	Perching	All US states (except Hawaii)	1

American Black Duck

Although these ducks are called black ducks, they are actually brown with black markings.

They have a horizontal black stripe near their eye.

Females and males can easily be differentiated from each other. Males have a lighter head and a yellow bill, whereas females have a darker head and a pale olive bill.

American Black Ducks are shy and prefer to live in wetlands.

Range: Eastern U.S.
Color: Brown with black markings
Family Type: Dabbling

American Wigeon

The male American Wigeon has a charming appearance that you won’t forget. He has a vivid emerald patch around his eye, and above that is a white patch of feathers that makes it look like his head was snowed on. The rest of his body is various shades of light brown, gray, and black.

Female Wigeons are more plain. She is a light tan color with darker brown markings, including a dark brown smudge around her eye.

This species enjoys making a lot of noise.

They thrive in wetlands and lakes all across the U.S and have a short bill that is perfect for plucking plants out of the ground.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Brown
Family Type: Dabbling

Black Scoter

The black scoter is one of the least colorful male ducks out there.

They are easily recognizable by their dark black coloration. The only bright spot of color on him is an orange knob on his bill.

Females are actually brown with a light face, brown cap, and white markings.

Instead of using their appearance, males are very vocal in their attempts to impress the ladies.

Range: West coast and east coast
Color: Brown (Females) Black (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

This waterfowl is well known for being chaotic.

They have no problem dropping in uninvited on fields and golf courses in search of seeds. These whistling ducks are very loud and have a distinctive whistle call.

Both the males and females are tall and have with bright pink bills. They look identical and have brown bodies with lighter patches on their heads and backs. Their wings have a white stripe, and they have black bellies.

Range: Texas and Louisiana
Color: Brown, white, and black
Family Type: Whistling

Blue Duck

The Blue Duck is an endangered species that is only found in New Zealand. Their populations have declined in modern times due to excessive habitat destruction. However, the New Zealand government has a recovery plan for them and is working on increasing their population.

Blue ducks have a bluish-gray body and a reddish breast.

Range: New Zealand
Color: Blue and gray
Family Type: Perching

Blue-Winged Teal

These ducks live in marshes and build nests on the ground after a long northern migration in the spring.

Males have an easy-to-see purplish-gray head with a bright white crescent in front of their eye. The rest of their body is a fawn color with black speckles, black wings, and a black tail. When flying you can see a sky-blue patch of plumage on their shoulders.

Females are a light brown color with darker brown markings and a black bill.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Light brown
Family Type: Dabbling

Brazilian Duck

The Brazilian Duck also goes by the name of Brazilian Teal.

At first glance they appear to be a boring pale brown color but they have stunningly vibrant blue wings that are hidden away.

Male Brazilian Ducks are involved parents who help the females take care of the ducklings.

Range: South America
Color: Brown
Family Type: Perching

Bufflehead

The Bufflehead is known for their adorable, fluffy-headed appearance.

Males have an iridescent head with a white patch, whereas females have a dark head with a white horizontal stripe.

This is a capable diving duck that can quickly disappear under the surface of the water at a moment’s notice if they need to. They also dive to catch aquatic invertebrates to eat.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Black and white
Family Type: Diving

Canvasback

The Canvasback is an easy to identify diving duck.

Both the males and females have a similar appearance. They have a dark beak, brown head, black chest, and unique silver back. The main difference is that males have red eyes, whereas females have black eyes. If you look closely you can also see that the head of the male takes on a more copper-red hue.

This duck uses their diving abilities to forage for plant tubers that are found at the bottom of lakes.

Range: All US states (except Maine and Hawaii)
Color: Brown, black, and silver
Family Type: Diving

Cinnamon Teal

Similar to the Blue-Winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal ducks also have a hidden patch of powder blue feathers on their shoulder. During breeding season the males will have rich cinnamon colored feathers.

Female Cinnamon Teals are less exciting in appearance.

They have light brown feathers with darker brown markings.

This species is on the conservation watch list due to declining numbers. However, they currently have two different breeding populations. One is in North America and the second is in South America.

Range: Western U.S.
Color: Cinnamon (Males) Brown (Females)
Family Type: Dabbling

Comb Duck

Comb Ducks are one of the strangest and most comical ducks out there.

They are bigger than your average duck and have a thick knob on their bill.

Comb Ducks have a black back and a white underside. Their face is white with black speckling.

Range: South America and Africa
Color: Black and white
Family Type: Perching

Cotton Pygmy Goose

The Cotton Pygmy Goose is a small perching duck native to Asia.

They nest in trees and are very good flyers. They are quick and can also dive if needed. They are commonly found in freshwater lakes, although they have also been spotted in rain-filled ditches.

This waterfowl is quite beautiful.

They have a white body with a soft brown stripe from the center of their head that widens over their back. Iridescent teal feathers are sprinkled in alongside the brown back feathers. The underside of their wings is a vibrant blue-green color.

A black V shape cuts over their chest.

Range: Asia
Color: White and Brown
Family Type: Perching

Eurasian Wigeon

The Eurasian Wigeon is usually not native to the United States; however, some individuals are known to have gotten mixed up with flocks of American Wigeons.

Males have a rich, orange-brown head, with a red buff patch on their chest. They have white and black striped body feathers that appear gray from a distance.

Females are brown with darker markings, similar to the American Wigeon.

Both females and males have a white belly.

Range: Northeast Coast, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Midwest
Color: Gray and brown
Family Type: Dabbling

Gadwall

The appearance of Gadwall Ducks is rather plain and unassuming.

Males are a dull brown and gray color, whereas females are usually just brown.

While their appearance may be muted, their personality is quite the opposite. Bold and sneaky, these ducks are known for stealing food from diving ducks such as American Coots.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Brown and Gray
Family Type: Dabbling

Goldeneye

The Common Goldeneye has vibrant golden eyes.

Males have a green head with a white spot, white chest and flank, and dark tail and back.

Females are somewhat similar in appearance but do not have a white spot, and have a darker flank.

At only one day old, ducklings leave the nest. That might not seem too impressive, but their nests are located in tree cavities forty feet off the ground. This means the ducklings need to make a forty foot leap of faith after only one day of life.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Brown and gray (Females), Green, black, and white (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Greater Scaup

The Greater Scaup can be distinguished from other Scaup species by the roundness of their heads.

Both males and females have golden eyes and blue-gray bills.

Males have a dark green head and the rest of their plumage is gray, white, and black. Females have a dark chocolate head with a white stripe in front of their bill. The rest of their body is brown.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii and New Mexico)
Color: Brown (Females) Green, white, gray, and black (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Harlequin Duck

These ducks can be found in shades of white, blue, and red!

Females are a less theatrical muted gray color.

Besides their plumage, these ducks are most well-known for the rough habitat they live in. Home for them is whitewater rivers with waves strong enough to break bones. Shockingly, x-rays taken of wild Harlequin Ducks show that most adults have in fact broken and re-healed multiple bones throughout their life.

Range: Northwest and Alaska
Color: Brownish-gray (Females) Black, white, blue, red (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Hartlaub’s Duck

The Hartlaub’s Duck is native to Africa and has an extremely large range there.

They live in forests and no wild nests made by this duck have been documented. It is thought that they live high up in tree cavities.

This duck is a chestnut brown color with a black head and reddish-brown eyes. There is a white stripe where their bill touches their face. The bill is black with a paler section near the end of it.

Range: Africa
Color: Black and brown
Family Type: Perching

Hooded Merganser

The Hooded Merganser has an eye-catching crest – even the females have crests!

Males have a black and white crest, while females have a brown and gray crest.

These expert divers excel at catching fish. They have an extra eyelid that helps to keep water out of their eye while swimming. This is important as they use their sight to hunt.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Gray and brown (Females) Black, white, and brown (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Long Tailed Duck

The Long-Tailed Duck is named after their long tail feathers.

These males have two different plumages that change between seasons.

During the summer males are mostly black with a white face patch. In the winter they are mostly white with a dark-colored face. In both seasonal plumages, males keep the extra-long tail feathers.

Females are brown and light and do not have a long tail.

Long-Tailed Ducks are excellent divers that primarily live along the Northern Ocean cost. While diving they hunt fish and aquatic insects.

Range: Northwest, Northeast, Alaska
Color: Brown and white (Females) Black and white (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Mallard

The Mallard is the most recognizable American duck because of how common they are.

Most people have seen Mallards at least once before. Males are especially easy to spot because they stand out with their colorful emerald green heads and bright yellow beaks.

Females are a golden brown color with brown to black markings all over their body. While she may be less eye-catching than the male, she makes up for it by being louder. Only female Mallards can quack!

This type of duck is unique in that they mate for life instead of finding a new mate each year.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Golden brown (Females) Gray and green (Males)
Family Type: Dabbling

Mandarin Duck

Male Mandarin Ducks are one of the most brightly colored ducks to exist.

They have a vibrant red bill, and solid patches of red, blue, green, white, and orange on different parts of their body.

Females lack the intense colors of the males. They are a brown and gray color. One defining feature of the females is a white ring outlining their eyes.

These ducks are native to East Asia, but humans have introduced them to many other parts of the world. Today there is a wild population that lives in California.

They naturally make their nests in trees.

Range: California
Color: Brown-gray (Female) Colorful (Male)
Family Type: Perching

Maned Duck

The Maned Duck is also known as the Australian Wood Duck.

Males and females look very similar.

Both have a brown head and a short black bill. Females have a white line around their eye that the males lack. Males have a tan and black speckled chest that is replaced by a tiny white barring pattern along the flank, whereas females have a brown and white speckled pattern throughout. Both have black tails.

They are native to Australia and are known for being noisy while perched in trees in urban areas.

Range: Australia
Color: Brown
Family Type: Perching

Merganser

Common Mergansers are larger than most ducks.

Males have a white body with a dark green head, whereas females have a gray body with a cinnamon-colored head.

The most notable part of the Common Merganser’s appearance is their ruby-red serrated bill. They use this to catch and hold onto fish.

They are also excellent divers that spend much time submerged.

Range: Northeast, Central, Northwest, and Southwest U.S.
Color: Brown and gray (Females) Green and white (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Mottled Duck

The Mottled Duck lives along the Gulf of Mexico.

Both the males and females have a golden body with dark mottling.

They also have a lighter head and neck with a dark cap.

Males have a pale gray head whereas females have a tinted brown head.

Range: Gulf Coast
Color: Brown and yellow
Family Type: Dabbling

Muscovy Duck

These ducks are one of the oldest domesticated ducks.

The native people of South America had successfully domesticated them before the arrival of European explorers in the 16th century.

Today, there are both feral populations and domesticated populations.

Feral populations are restricted to Texas and Florida within the U.S., while domesticated Muscovy Ducks can be found in farms throughout the country.

Males have a distinct, vulture-like appearance due to the large number of red warts on their face. They have brown and white feathers with iridescent green hues on their wing feathers.

Females are more beautiful with glossy black feathers, a sapphire blue patch on their wing, and no face warts.

Range: Texas and Florida
Color: Brown and white
Family Type: Perching

Northern Pintail

Northern Pintails have a slender neck and elegantly pointed tail which gives them a regal appearance.

They look like the graceful prince of the marshlands!

These ducks have one of the earliest breeding seasons; they can be found making ground nests in the northern prairies of the U.S. as soon as the ice begins to thaw.

The male is most easily identified by his long tail, but his chocolate face, white neck stripe, and white chest also distinguish him. The female looks similar to many other species of duck, but her neck is a touch longer than most.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Brown and White
Family Type: Dabbling

Northern Shoveler

The Northern Shoveler is named after their wide bill that looks like a shovel.

All Northern Shovelers have this awkwardly shaped bill, regardless of whether they are male or female. This specially shaped bill is useful as it helps them filter out seeds and crustaceans while dabbling for food in the water.

Males are easily identified by the combination of their green head, yellow eyes, large black bill, brown flank, and black back. Females are less colorful and tend to be a lighter brown with darker brown-gray markings. However, their spoon bill easily distinguishes them from other similarly colored dabbling ducks.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Brown (Females) Brown, white, green, and black (Males)
Family Type: Dabbling

Pink Eared Duck

The Pink Eared Duck is an exotic duck native to Australia.

They have a zebra-like plumage pattern, dark shovel-shaped bill, and a pink spot of feathers on the side of the male’s head.

Their specialized bill contains grooves that lets them filter microscopic plants and animals out of the warm water they live in. These plants and animals make up the majority of their diet.

They are happy to breed at any time of year and when it is time to lay eggs, it is common for the female to take over the nests of other local species.

Range: Australia
Color: Black and white
Family Type: Perching

Red-breasted Merganser

All Mergansers have special crests, and the Red-Breasted Merganser is no different.

Males and females both have a thin, spiky crest on the top of their head.

Females have bright red bills, darker red eyes, and gray, brown, and white feathers. Males have deep red bills and eyes, as well as dark green tinted heads, brown chests, and black backs.

They also have a sawtooth bill. This type of bill has serrations that helps them to get a tight grip on slippery fish.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Gray, brown, white (Females) Green, brown, black, white (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Redhead

Male Redhead Ducks have a deep brown-red colored head.

They also have a light gray-blue bill with a dark tip. Their chest is black, with a white and black barred flank.

Females do not have red heads and instead are a rather plain shade of brown.

These females are well known for stealing other birds’ nests to lay thier own eggs in without doing any of the work.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire)
Color: Brown (Females) Brown and Gray (Males)
Family Type: Diving

Ringed Teal

The Ringed Teal duck is a small species that is a popular domesticated breed.

They are excellent mothers and are often used to hatch duck eggs. The main thing to look out for is that they do not get bullied by larger, more aggressive birds.

Males are known for having a pretty light blue bill, a salmon breast with black speckles, and a tan head with a black line extending down the neck, as well as other colors and patterns along their flank and back.

Females are less colorful and are only found in brown.

Range: South America
Color: Brown (Female) Multi-colored (Males)
Family Type: Perching

Ruddy Duck

The Ruddy Duck is also known as the Stiff-Tail Duck because their feathers stand straight up at an angle.

They have a very distinctive powder blue bill.

Males have copper brown bodies with a black cap on their head and white cheeks. The rest of their feathers are various shades of brown. These ducks are known to be quite bold. If you are lucky, you may catch one making a huge show out of chasing away rabbits too close to their home.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Brown
Family Type: Diving

Torrent Duck

The Torrent Duck has a very similar coloration to a robin.

They are one of the few species of duck where the female is much more colorful than the male. She has an orange-red belly and cheeks, with a bright red beak.

Males also have a bright red beak, but otherwise have black and white feathers.

They are excellent swimmers and live near fast-flowing rivers. However, they are also known to perch in trees so they are categorized as perching ducks instead of diving ducks. There are three different subspecies: Chilean Torrent Duck, Columbian Torrent Duck, and Peruvian Torrent Duck.

Range: South America
Color: Gray and red (Females) Black and white (Males)
Family Type: Perching

Wood Duck

Wood Ducks are perhaps the most ornamental duck in the United States.

Males have a crest of long iridescent feathers and their chests are a bold chestnut color. The colorfulness does not end there – they also have bright red eyes.

Female Wood Ducks are also more distinct than the average female duck. She is a soft dove gray color with a unique white teardrop shape around each eye. She also has colorful blue secondary feathers with a vivid white stripe crossing them.

Interestingly, they are the only perching duck native to North America. They have thick claws capable of gripping bark which helps them nest in trees.

Range: All US states (except Hawaii)
Color: Gray (Female), Brown (Male)
Family Type: Perching

Types of Ducks 101

Dabbling

Have you ever seen a duck upside-down in a lake?

They probably looked quite silly with their head underwater and their tail feathers pointing towards the sky. If that sounds familiar then you have seen a dabbling duck before.

Because of how they feed, they are called dabbling ducks.

Dabbling ducks forage underwater with their head and dabble around shallowly in the water as they eat.

Lots of these ducks have a vibrant strip of colors on their wings. They are also great flyers that can pull off aerodynamic maneuvers.

Common Examples: Mallards, Teal Ducks, Wigeons, Pintails, Gadwalls, and Shovelers

Diving

Diving ducks are also commonly called sea ducks.

These ducks live near deep bodies of water and unlike dabbling ducks, they completely submerge themselves to find food. They can store more oxygen in their blood and can dive more than 30 feet deep. They will root around at the bottom of the water for aquatic insects, mollusks, and plants.

Diving ducks are not as colorful as dabbling ducks and often lack the bright strip of color on their wings.

Common Examples: Buffleheads, Harlequin, Eiders, Goldeneyes, Mergansers, and Scoters

Perching

Perching ducks are different from dabbling ducks and diving ducks in that they can be found perching in trees. Even though they love hanging out in trees, they still enjoy the water and can be found in shallow water bodies in forested areas.

There are only fourteen species of perching duck.

The most common here in the United States is the wood duck. The mandarin duck is a perching duck from East Asia that is commonly considered the most beautiful duck in the world.

Common Examples: Wood Duck and Mandarin Duck

Other Types

In addition to these three main groups you may have also come across whistling ducks.

Whistling ducks are not actually ducks. They are more similar to geese and swans than they are ducks.

Most ducks are sexually dimorphic. This means that female and males ducks have different appearances. Whistling ducks do not have this trait as both male and female whistling ducks look the same. This is also true for most geese and swans.

You have probably also heard some people call ducks domesticated.

A domestic duck is any duck breed that has been domesticated. This means that a domestic duck will be both a domestic duck and another type of duck at the same time. For example, the mallard is both a domestic duck and a dabbling duck.

Duck Anatomy Explained

Here is a quick crash course on all the duck-related anatomy terms you need to know.

Auriculars: Feathers surrounding the opening of the duck’s ears. They protect the ear from harm and also prevent us from seeing the ear of the duck.
Bill: Their beak. There is not a scientific difference between a beak and a bill. However, it is more conventional to refer to a duck’s beak as a bill. There are many different types of bills, including spoonbills and sawtooth bills. The size and shape of the bill is best suited for the diet of the duck.
Breast: Another word for the chest of the duck.
Crown: The very top of a duck’s head. Can be used when talking about a color (ex. brown crown) or the shape of the head (ex. widened crown).
Flanks: These are the sides of the duck, specifically between the chest and the rear. Think of the area of the body under the wing. In many types of duck, the flanks are a different color than the chest, back, and rump.
Foot: Ducks have feet that point outwards and are webbed. While this is ideal for swimming, it gives them a characteristic waddling gait while on land.
Nail: A small bump on the upper bill of the duck. They can use this bump to help them dig while foraging to uncover insects, seeds, and roots.
Nape: The back of the duck’s neck. Usually, the nape will be the same color as the crown.
Rump: This is the rear end of the duck. Sometimes you cannot easily see the rump of a duck. The rump is most visible in dabbling ducks when they submerge their front half and point their rump into the air while foraging under the surface of the water.
Shank: Part of the leg between the foot and where the leg connects to the body. In ducks, the shank has no feathers.
Throat: The throat is the front part of the duck’s neck.
Wing: Feathered “arm” of the duck. Many ducks use their wings to fly great distances while migrating. The wing contains different types of feathers, including primary and secondary feathers. Different feather types may be colored differently.

Summary

Ducks are amazing birds that come in many different colors and live in many different habitats. Ducks thrive everywhere from quiet marshland forests to rocky whitewater rapids.

Some ducks such as mergansers are diving ducks that live in deep waters so they can hunt fish. Other ducks, such as Teals, are dabbling ducks that forage near the water’s surface. There are even ducks known as perching ducks that spend part of their time living in trees.

Even within those three main types of duck there is much variety.

Hopefully, you will now be able to identify the types of duck your spot in the wild.

Let us know in the comments section below…