Contact | Sitemap | Updates | Facebook
Contact | Updates | Facebook

Sea Duck Identification

Sea Duck photos

Sea Ducks (sub-family - Merginae) include the following species of duck: Bufflehead, Eiders (Common, King, Spectacled, and Steller's), Goldeneyes (Barrow's and Common), Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Mergansers (Brazilian, Scaly-sided, Common, Hooded, and Red-breasted), Scoters (Black, Common, Surf, Velvet, and White-winged), and Smew.



Many sea ducks winter along the coasts and have developed specialized salt glands to allow them to tolerate salt water. In the breeding season they may lay their eggs further inland by lakes, streams and rivers, because the young take time to develop their ability to tolerate salt water.

The Mergansers and the Smew are fish eating ducks and have a serrated beak which helps them to grasp their prey when diving for food. Other sea ducks will feed on molluscs and crustaceans from the sea floor.

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.


Bufflehead

(Bucephala Albeola)
Photo: Dave Key

Common Eider

(Somateria Mollissima)
Photo: Dave Key

King Eider

(Somateria Spectabilis)

Spectacled Eider

(Somateria Fischeri)

Steller's Eider

(Polysticta Stelleri)

Barrow's Goldeneye

(Bucephala Islandica)
Photo: Dave Key

Common Goldeneye

(Bucephala Clangula)
Photo: Dave Key

Harlequin Duck

(Histrionicus Histrionicus)
photo by Neill Smith

Long-tailed Duck

(Clangula Hyemalis)
photo by Neill Smith

Brazilian Merganser

(Mergus Octosetaceus)

Scaly-sided Merganser

(Mergus Squamatus)
photo by Neill Smith

Common Merganser

(Mergus Merganser)
Photo: Dave Key

Hooded Merganser

(Lophodytes Cucullatus)
Photo: Dave Key

Red-breasted Merganser

(Mergus Serrator)
photo by Neill Smith

Black Scoter

(Melanitta Americana)

Common Scoter

(Melanitta Nigra)
photo by Neill Smith

Surf Scoter

(Melanitta Perspicillata)

Velvet Scoter

(Melanitta Fusca)
photo by Neill Smith

White-winged Scoter

(Melanitta Deglandi)

Smew

(Mergellus Albellus)
Photo: Dave Key

Bufflehead

(Bucephala Albeola)
Photo: Dave Key

Common Eider

(Somateria Mollissima)
Photo: Dave Key

King Eider

(Somateria Spectabilis)

Spectacled Eider

(Somateria Fischeri)

Steller's Eider

(Polysticta Stelleri)

Barrow's Goldeneye

(Bucephala Islandica)
Photo: Dave Key

Common Goldeneye

(Bucephala Clangula)
Photo: Dave Key

Harlequin Duck

(Histrionicus Histrionicus)
photo by Neill Smith

Long-tailed Duck

(Clangula Hyemalis)
photo by Neill Smith

Brazilian Merganser

(Mergus Octosetaceus)

Scaly-sided Merganser

(Mergus Squamatus)
photo by Neill Smith

Common Merganser

(Mergus Merganser)
Photo: Dave Key

Hooded Merganser

(Lophodytes Cucullatus)
Photo: Dave Key

Red-breasted Merganser

(Mergus Serrator)
photo by Neill Smith

Black Scoter

(Melanitta Americana)

Common Scoter

(Melanitta Nigra)
photo by Neill Smith

Surf Scoter

(Melanitta Perspicillata)

Velvet Scoter

(Melanitta Fusca)
photo by Neill Smith

White-winged Scoter

(Melanitta Deglandi)

Smew

(Mergellus Albellus)
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.




Links