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Duck ID Guide
Zach Wood
Zach Wood is a public information officer in the DNR’s Office of Communications.
Mallard
The most common duck in Wisconsin. The males are easily identified by their green head feathers, which are separated from their chestnut body feathers by a white neck ring. Female mallards are a mottled brown with a violet patch bordered by black and white on their wings.
Black Duck
American black ducks are about the same size as mallards, and males and females resemble the female mallard in coloration, albeit slightly darker. An easy way to identify them in flight is by looking at the undersides of their wings, which are lined with white feathers in contrast to their dark bodies.
Canvasback
Male canvasbacks have brownish-red heads, black bodies and blackish-brown tails. The sides, flank and belly are white, and the wings are grayish with some black. Females have light brown heads and darker brown chests with gray or brown sides. Males and females both have black bills and bluish-gray feet.
Wood Duck
These ducks have a boxy shape, crested heads, thin necks and a long, broad tail. Male wood ducks are easily identified by their red eyes, which can be quite striking against their green and purple heads. A white stripe leads from the eye to the end of the crest, and another narrower white stripe from the base of the bill to the tip of the crest. Female wood ducks have a gray-brown head and neck with a brownish-green crest and a white teardrop-shaped patch around their eyes.
Pintail
Pintails have long necks and tails, making them appear much longer than mallards. They are fast fliers, often seen zigzagging while descending to land. Males have brown heads, long white tails, white chests and white stripes on their necks. Females have tan heads.
Common Merganser
This duck is a larger size compared to many others. Males have green heads like mallards. Their bodies are mostly white with some gray. They are identifiable by their long, straight bills, which are orange-red. Females have red-brown heads with long, almost disheveled feathers, gray bodies and straight bills. Both sexes sport a “bed-head” look.
Redhead
As their name suggests, male redheads have red heads, necks and chests, with blackish backs that turn gray further from the neck. They have blue-gray bills. Female redheads have brownish-red heads, necks and chests, with white chins and throats. Their sides are light brown with some gray.
Hooded Merganser
Smaller than many other ducks, males have brown sides, white chests and black heads with a prominent crest (hood) that the duck can raise or lower. Females have large cinnamon-colored hoods with gray or brown bodies.
