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Diving Duck Identification

Diving Duck photos

There are about sixteen species of Diving Duck (Subfamily: Aythyinae) including the Canvasback, Ferruginous Duck, Hardhead, Marbled Duck, Pochard (Baer's, Common, Madagascar, Red-crested, and Southern), Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Rosybill, Scaup (Greater, Lesser, and New Zealand), and the Tufted Duck.



These ducks mainly feed by diving underwater for their food on fresh water lakes or on estuaries. Their feet are placed further back on their body, compared to a dabbling duck, giving them more efficient propulsion on and under the water, which makes them better swimmers, and divers. However, this means diving ducks find it harder to walk on land, and can be seen to shuffle along clumsily with an upright stance trying to maintain their balance.

The male Ringed-neck Duck, Tufted Duck, Greater and Lesser Scaups can all look very similar but the Tufted Duck has a distinctive long tuft on its head, the Ring-necked Duck has a distinctive white line around the base of the beak which is grey-blue with a broad white band and black tip. The Greater Scaup is larger and more bulky than the Lesser Scaup which has a slightly broader beak giving it the nickname 'Broadbill'. More information can be found
here.

The male Canvasback, Common Pochard, and Redhead also look very similar at first glance but the Redhead is the only one with yellow eyes and a bluish-grey beak with black tip. The Canvasback has a relatively long all-black sloping beak with red eyes, and the Common Pochard has a dark grey beak with a central band of light-grey and black tip and also has red eyes. More information can be found
here.

Click on the Duck photographs to enlarge them or if you click on the Duck's name then it will take you to another page with information, more photos, and sometimes a video of that particular Duck.


Canvasback

(Aythya Valisineria)
Photo: Dave Key

Ferruginous Duck

(Aythya Nyroca)
Photo: Dave Key

Hardhead

(Aythya Australis)
Photo: Dave Key

Marbled Duck

(Marmaronetta Angustirostris)
Photo: Dave Key

Common Pochard

(Aythya Ferina)
Photo: Nigel Key

Red-crested Pochard

(Netta Rufina)
Photo: Dave Key

Southern Pochard

(Netta Erythrophthalma)
Photo: Dave Key

Baer's Pochard

(Aythya Baeri)
Photo: Dave Key

Madagascar Pochard

(Aythya Innotata)

Redhead

(Aythya Americana)
Photo: Dave Key

Ring-necked Duck

(Aythya Collaris)
Photo: Dave Key

Rosybill

(Vetta Peposaca)
Photo: Dave Key

Greater Scaup

(Aythya Marila)
photo by Dave Key

Lesser Scaup

(Aythya Affinis)
Photo: Dave Key

New Zealand Scaup

(Aythya Novaeseelandiae)

Tufted Duck

(Aythya Fuligula)
Photo: Dave Key

Canvasback

(Aythya Valisineria)
Photo: Dave Key

Ferruginous Duck

(Aythya Nyroca)
Photo: Dave Key

Hardhead

(Aythya Australis)
Photo: Dave Key

Marbled Duck

(Marmaronetta Angustirostris)
Photo: Dave Key

Common Pochard

(Aythya Ferina)
Photo: Nigel Key

Red-crested Pochard

(Netta Rufina)
Photo: Dave Key

Southern Pochard

(Netta Erythrophthalma)
Photo: Dave Key

Baer's Pochard

(Aythya Baeri)
Photo: Dave Key

Madagascar Pochard

(Aythya Innotata)

Redhead

(Aythya Americana)
Photo: Dave Key

Ring-necked Duck

(Aythya Collaris)
Photo: Dave Key

Rosybill

(Vetta Peposaca)
Photo: Dave Key

Greater Scaup

(Aythya Marila)
photo by Dave Key

Lesser Scaup

(Aythya Affinis)
Photo: Dave Key

New Zealand Scaup

(Aythya Novaeseelandiae)

Tufted Duck

(Aythya Fuligula)
Photo: Dave Key

Click on the Duck photographs to enlarge them or if you click on the Duck's name then it will take you to another page with information, more photos, and sometimes a video of that particular Duck.




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