Diving Ducks Wing Ids

Front 1

Back 1

redhead (Aythya americana)

do NOT need to know sex

• dark gray on top, light gray on bottom
• if you find handful of tertial feathers with black tips, you know it's a redhead

Front 2

Back 2

canvasback (Aythya valisineria)

won't ask us female, ONLY MALE

• vermiculated light gray all over
• not much contrast, kind of all the same color which says you're not looking at redhead

Front 3

Back 3

black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

do NOT need to know sex...only male wing ?

• unique color sequence...light at the top and gets darker (reverse of everything else)
• black at tips, white at top

Front 4

Back 4

greater scaup (Aythya marila)

do NOT need to know sex with wings

• white extends out from secondaries to primaries which tells you it's a greater scaup, not lesser
• sequence: black, white, black
• males have some vermiculation in coverts

Front 5

Back 5

lesser scaup (Aythya affinis)

do NOT need to know sex with wings

• same exact sequence as greater—black, white, black—but white stops at last secondary, primaries are then gray
• need to count over to first secondary (count 10 primaries and see if there's a color difference...same on greater, different on lesser)

Front 6

Back 6

ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris)

??

• big bodies with small wings
• sequence: black, gray...tells you it's definitely ring-necked
• tertial feathers have blackish-green iridescent color (only diving duck with color)

Front 7

Back 7

hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)

ONLY MALE for wings

• should be easy...doesn't look like anything else
• tertials are curled in wing
• center is white, black on one side, charcoal gray on other side

Front 8

Back 8

bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)

ONLY MALE ?

• color starts at top and goes to bottom...not across wing like everything else...black on bottom, white, dark gray
• really small wings

Front 9

Back 9

common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

same exact color sequence as bufflehead—black on bottom, white, dark gray—but bigger size...only way to tell difference is size

Front 10

Back 10

male redhead

• reddish-chestnut head and neck
• yellow eyes

Front 11

Back 11

male redhead

dark gray on top, light gray on bottom

Front 12

Back 12

male canvasback

• reddish-chestnut head and neck
• red eyes

Front 13

Back 13

male canvasback

vermiculated light gray all over

Front 14

Back 14

female canvasback

Front 15

Back 15

black-bellied whistling duck

Front 16

Back 16

black-bellied whistling duck

• unique color sequence...light at the top and gets darker (reverse of everything else)
• black at tips, white at top
  

Front 17

Back 17

male greater scaup

• black head with a green glossy sheen
  
• yellow eyes

Front 18

Back 18

male and two female greater scaup

black, white, black sequence

Front 19

Back 19

female greater scaup

brown head and body with a white band at the base of the beak

Front 20

Back 20

male lesser scaup

• black head and neck with a purplish gloss or sometimes a greenish sheen
  
• yellow eyes

Front 21

Back 21

male lesser scaup

same exact sequence as greater—black, white, black—but white stops at last secondary, primaries are then gray

Front 22

Back 22

female lesser scaup

• white band around the base of the beak
  
• dark brown head, neck, breast, and back
• orange eyes
  

Front 23

Back 23

female lesser scaup

• white band around the base of the beak
  
• same exact sequence as greater—black, white, black—but white stops at last secondary, primaries are then gray
  

Front 24

Back 24

male ring-necked duck

• black head and neck with a purple sheen
• has an inconspicuous cinnamon neck ring
  

Front 25

Back 25

male ring-necked duck

black to gray

Front 26

Back 26

female ring-necked duck

Front 27

Back 27

male hooded merganser

Front 28

Back 28

male hooded merganser

• tertials are curled in wing
• center is white, black on one side, charcoal gray on other side
  

Front 29

Back 29

female hooded merganser

Front 30

Back 30

male bufflehead

• black head and upper neck with shades of blue, green and violet
  
• large patch of white extend from behind the eye to the back of the head which forms a crest
  

Front 31

Back 31

male bufflehead

• color starts at top and goes to bottom...not across wing like everything else...black on bottom, white, dark gray
  
• wings very small

Front 32

Back 32

female bufflehead

Front 33

Back 33

female bufflehead

• color starts at top and goes to bottom...not across wing like everything else...black on bottom, white, dark gray
• wings very small
  

Front 34

Back 34

male common goldeneye

metallic green-black head with a large round white spot on the cheek

Front 35

Back 35

male common goldeneye

same exact color sequence as bufflehead—black on bottom, white, dark gray—but bigger size...only way to tell difference is size

Front 36

Back 36

female common goldeneye

Front 37

Back 37

female common goldeneye

same exact color sequence as bufflehead—black on bottom, white, dark gray—but bigger size...only way to tell difference is size

Front 38

redhead color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 38

dark gray to light gray

Front 39

canvasback color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 39

vermiculated light gray...not much contrast

Front 40

black-bellied whistling duck color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 40

black to white (only one that is darker at primaries and gets lighter toward coverts...opposite order)

Front 41

greater scaup color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 41

black, white, black

Front 42

lesser scaup color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 42

black, white/gray, black (white stops at last secondary, primaries are gray)

Front 43

ring-necked duck color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 43

black to gray

Front 44

bufflehead color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 44

color changes vertically...from bottom, black, white, charcoal gray

(smaller than goldeneye)

Front 45

common goldeneye color sequence (from coverts to primaries, secondaries, and tertials)

Back 45

same exact sequence as bufflehead but larger

Front 46

Back 46

redhead

Front 47

Back 47

canvasback

Front 48

Back 48

black-bellied whistling duck

Front 49

Back 49

greater scaup

Front 50

Back 50

lesser scaup

Front 51

Back 51

ring-necked duck

Front 52

Back 52

hooded merganser

Front 53

Back 53

common goldeneye

Front 54

Back 54

black-bellied whistling duck

Front 55

Back 55

ring-necked duck