BIRDS of THE WORLD - An Online Bird Book
WATERFOWL
Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae
WATERFOWL
Order Anseriformes Family Anatidae
The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds All species in the order are web-footed for efficient swimming and have a large wide bill with a specialized tongue that allows water to be sucked in the front of the bill. An array of plates traps food particles as the water is expelled out the sides of the bill. Not all species feed this way, some graze on plants and some also catch fish.
Anseriformes has 3 familes, but almost all of the species belong to Anatidae.
Family Anatidae: dabbling ducks, teals, diving ducks, sea duck, shelducks, geese.
Family Anatidae: stiff-tailed ducks, swans, whistling ducks,
Family Anhimidae: screamers
Family Anseranatidae: magpie goose
Other species resemble the waterfowl of Anseriformes.
Order Gaviiformes, Family Gaviidae: loons
Order Gruiformes, Family Rallidae: coots, moorhens, crakes, rails
Order Podicipediformes, Family Podicipedidae: grebes
Diving Ducks Anseriformes has 3 familes, but almost all of the species belong to Anatidae.
Family Anatidae: dabbling ducks, teals, diving ducks, sea duck, shelducks, geese.
Family Anatidae: stiff-tailed ducks, swans, whistling ducks,
Family Anhimidae: screamers
Family Anseranatidae: magpie goose
Other species resemble the waterfowl of Anseriformes.
Order Gaviiformes, Family Gaviidae: loons
Order Gruiformes, Family Rallidae: coots, moorhens, crakes, rails
Order Podicipediformes, Family Podicipedidae: grebes
The diving ducks, commonly called pochards or scaups, are a category of duck which feed by diving beneath the surface of the water. They are mainly found in the northern hemisphere. To aid in their swimming under water for food, diving ducks tend to be denser than dabbling ducks and their legs placed further back on their body. They are ungainly walking on ground and their takeoff for flying is labored.
Genus Aythya
Canvasback Aythya valisineria Found: North America
The largest North American diving duck. It has a wedge shaped head. black bill. The male has black breast and rump; chestnut head and neck; white back sides and belly. This white has fine irregular lines lika a canvas, hence the name. Female has grayish-brown upperparts; brown head, neck, and breast.
Similar to: Redhead. The bills and head shape are very different.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 8) Dick - North CarolinaSimilar to: Redhead. The bills and head shape are very different.
1, 2, 3, 4) Female / nonbreeding male 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Breeding male
Duck,_Ferruginous also Ferruginous Pochard Aythya nyroca Found: Europe, Asia
The male Ferruginous Duck has chestnut head, sides, and underparts; brown back; yellowish eye; white undertail. Female is similar but duller and with a dark eye.
Similar to: White-eyed Duck. Ranges do not overlap. White-eyed Duck has some white on the bill, Ferruginous Duck does not.
Image by: 1) GrahamC57 - England 2, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 3) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa 4) Sandy
Cole - San Diego Zoo
7) Tony_Smith - England 8) Cristiano Crolle - Racconigi, Italy Similar to: White-eyed Duck. Ranges do not overlap. White-eyed Duck has some white on the bill, Ferruginous Duck does not.
1) Female 2, 3, 4, 6) Male
Duck, Ring-necked Aythya collaris Found: North America, South America (rare), Europe (rare)
The Ring-necked Duck has a difficult to observe cinnamon neck ring. It has a white band near the tip of its gray bill and a white ring near the base of the bill. Male has shiny black upperparts, head, neck, and breast; gray sides. Female is brown with gray-brown head, white eye-ring.
Similar to: female Redhead. The Redhead female has a more gently rounded head. The Ring-necked Duck female has white around the base of the bill.
Similar to: Tufted Duck. The Tufted Duck has a tuft at the back of its head, the Ring-necked Duck does not. Tufted Duck has negligible white on its bill; Ring-necked Duck has obvious white on the bill. Juvenile and female Ring-necked Duck has dark eye, white eye-ring; Tufted Duck has yellow eye, no eye-ring.
Image by: 1) Len Blumin - California 2) Alan Vernon - California 3) Rich Leche 4, 8) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 5, 11) Alan D Wilson - Near San Diego, California 6) Dick - North Carolina 7) Hilary Chambers - United KingdomSimilar to: female Redhead. The Redhead female has a more gently rounded head. The Ring-necked Duck female has white around the base of the bill.
Similar to: Tufted Duck. The Tufted Duck has a tuft at the back of its head, the Ring-necked Duck does not. Tufted Duck has negligible white on its bill; Ring-necked Duck has obvious white on the bill. Juvenile and female Ring-necked Duck has dark eye, white eye-ring; Tufted Duck has yellow eye, no eye-ring.
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9) Mdf - Toronto 10) Chad King
1) Juvenile 2- 6) Female 7) nonbreeding male 8 - 11) breeding male
Duck, Tufted Aythya fuligula Found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa
The Tufted Duck has a tuft on its head, yellow eyes, blue-gray bill. The male is black except for white flanks. The female is brown with darker head and back.
Similar to: Ringed-neck Duck. The Tufted Duck has a tuft at the back of its head, the Ring-necked Duck does not. Ring-necked Duck has a white band near the tip of the bill and a white ring near the base of the bill; the Tufted Duck has little / no white on or near its bill. Juvenile and female Ring-necked Duck has dark eye, white eye-ring; Tufted Duck has yellow eye, no eye-ring.
Similar to: Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup. The male Tufted Duck has a solid black back; the male scaup has barring on its back. The female Tufted Duck has little or no white at the base of its bill; the female scaup has substantial white at the base of its bill.
Image by: 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 12) Dick Daniels - Sylvan
Heights 3, 11) Dick - England
4) Frankie Chu 5) Duncan Brown - Scotland 6) Namisao 9) Sandy Cole - Sylvan
HeightsSimilar to: Ringed-neck Duck. The Tufted Duck has a tuft at the back of its head, the Ring-necked Duck does not. Ring-necked Duck has a white band near the tip of the bill and a white ring near the base of the bill; the Tufted Duck has little / no white on or near its bill. Juvenile and female Ring-necked Duck has dark eye, white eye-ring; Tufted Duck has yellow eye, no eye-ring.
Similar to: Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup. The male Tufted Duck has a solid black back; the male scaup has barring on its back. The female Tufted Duck has little or no white at the base of its bill; the female scaup has substantial white at the base of its bill.
1, 2) Pair 3 - 8) Female 9 - 12) Male
Duck, White-eyed also Hardhead Aythya australis Found: Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands
The White-eyed Duck is the only diving duck in Australia. It has chocolate-brown upperparts, rufous flanks. white underparts. Allmost the entire underside of the wings are white. Male has bright white eyes; female has brown eyes.
Similar to: Ferruginous Duck. Ranges do not overlap. White-eyed Duck has some white on the bill, Ferruginous Duck does not.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Sylvan
Heights 4, 7) Oystercatcher
8) Dick Daniels - Featherdale Wildlife Park, Australia Similar to: Ferruginous Duck. Ranges do not overlap. White-eyed Duck has some white on the bill, Ferruginous Duck does not.
1) Pair 2, 3, 4, 5) Female 6, 7, 8) Male
Pochard, Baer's Aythya baeri Found: Asia
The male Baer's Pochard has black head, neck, and breast; dark upper back, brown lower back; predominantly white sides, white eyes.
Image by: 1) Ken 2, 3)
Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 4) Pinned
1) Hybrid and/or subadult 2, 3) Male
Pochard,_Common Aythya ferina Found: Europe, Asia
The male Common Pochard has a red head and neck, black breast and rump, large gray band on the bill, red eyes. The female has brown head, neck, and breast; light brown back; narrow gray band on the bill.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Jan_Svetlik 5) Richard Barrett-Small 6) Charlie Westerinen 
Pochard,_Madagascar Aythya innotata Found: Madagascar
The Madagascar Pochard has been deemed extinct a couple of time. Best recent guess is there might be about 25 left in the wild. Male has bright eyes; female has darker eyes.
Image by: 1) Amy AcAndrews 2, 3) Frank Vassen
1) Female in front 2, 3) Male
Redhead Aythya americana Found: North America, Asia
The male Redhead has a blue bill, red head and neck, black breast, and yellow eyes. The adult female has a brown head and body, darker bluish bill with a black tip, white eye-rings.
Similar to: Canvasback. The bills and head shape are very different.
Similar to: Ring-necked Duck female. The Redhead female has a more gently rounded head. The Ring-necked Duck female has white around the base of the bill.
Image by: 1, 10, 11) Dick Daniels - Flamingo Gardens, Flroida 2) Shanthanu Bhardwaj - Illinois 3) Len Blumin - California 4, 5, 6, 9) Dick - Sylvan
Heights 7) Jamie Chavez - California 8) Kevin
Bercaw Similar to: Canvasback. The bills and head shape are very different.
Similar to: Ring-necked Duck female. The Redhead female has a more gently rounded head. The Ring-necked Duck female has white around the base of the bill.
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1) Pair 2 - 6) Female 7) Male in partial eclipse plumage 8 - 11) Breeding males
Scaup,_New_Zealand also Black Teal Aythya novaeseelandiae Found: New Zealand
The New Zealand Scaup is dark brown and black with a dark greenish head. The male has yellow eyes, The female is similar to the male, lighter and does not have a yellow eye. During breeding season the female has a white patch above the bill.
Image by: 1) Arthur_Chapman 2, 3) Dick Daniels- Sylvan Heights 4, 5, 6) Dick - New Zealand 
1, 2) Female 3- 6) Male
Scaup, Greater Aythya marila Found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa
The Greater Scaup has rounded head, bluish bill, yellow eyes. Male has black head, neck, breast, rump; white sides; gray back with fine lines. Female has dark brown head and back, lighter brown breast and sides, bright white area above the bill,
Similar to: Lesser Scaup. Greater Scaups tend to have more rounded heads. The Greater Scaup male has a clear white border where it meets the vermiculated back while the Lesser Scaup male has a smudged region. Greater Scaups tend to have larger bills than Lesser Scaups. Lesser Scaup head tends to slope forward compared to Greater Scaup.
Similar to: Tufted Duck. The male Tufted Duck has a solid black back; the male scaup has barring on its back. The female Tufted Duck has little or no white at the base of its bill; the female scaup has substantial white at the base of its bill.
Image by: 1, 4, 6) Len Blumin - California 2) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 3) Shanthanu Bhardwaj - Illinois 5) Dan Mullen - Wisconsin eclipse 7) Calibas - California 8) Jerry Oldenettel - CaliforniaSimilar to: Lesser Scaup. Greater Scaups tend to have more rounded heads. The Greater Scaup male has a clear white border where it meets the vermiculated back while the Lesser Scaup male has a smudged region. Greater Scaups tend to have larger bills than Lesser Scaups. Lesser Scaup head tends to slope forward compared to Greater Scaup.
Similar to: Tufted Duck. The male Tufted Duck has a solid black back; the male scaup has barring on its back. The female Tufted Duck has little or no white at the base of its bill; the female scaup has substantial white at the base of its bill.
1) Pair 2, 3) Female 4, 5) Male in eclipse 6) Nonbreeding male 7, 8, 9) Male
Scaup, Lesser Aythya affinis Found: The Americas, Asia
The Lesser Scaup has rounded head, bluish bill, yellow eyes. Male has black head, neck, breast, rump; white sides, belly; gray back with fine lines. Female has dark brown head and back, lighter brown breast and sides, bright white area above the bill,
Similar to: Greater Scaup. Greater Scaups tend to have more rounded heads. The Greater Scaup male has a clear white border where it meets the vermiculated back while the Lesser Scaup male has a smudged region. Greater Scaups tend to have larger bills than Lesser Scaups. Lesser Scaup head tends to slope forward compared to Greater Scaup.
Similar to: Tufted Duck. The male Tufted Duck has a solid black back; the male scaup has barring on its back. The female Tufted Duck has little or no white at the base of its bill; the female scaup has substantial white at the base of its bill.
Image by: 1, 6, 7, 10) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 2) Shawn McCready - Alberta 3) Jeff Whitlock - Texas 4) New Jersey Birds - California 5) Dick - Twin Lakes, North Carolina 8) Len Blumin - California 9) Rich LecheSimilar to: Greater Scaup. Greater Scaups tend to have more rounded heads. The Greater Scaup male has a clear white border where it meets the vermiculated back while the Lesser Scaup male has a smudged region. Greater Scaups tend to have larger bills than Lesser Scaups. Lesser Scaup head tends to slope forward compared to Greater Scaup.
Similar to: Tufted Duck. The male Tufted Duck has a solid black back; the male scaup has barring on its back. The female Tufted Duck has little or no white at the base of its bill; the female scaup has substantial white at the base of its bill.
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1 - 5) Female 6 - 9) Male 10) Pair
Genus Netta
Netta is a genus of diving ducks. Unlike other diving ducks, the Netta species are reluctant to dive, and feed more like dabbling ducks. These are gregarious ducks, mainly found on fresh water. They are strong fliers; their broad, blunt-tipped wings require faster wing-beats than those of many ducks and they take off with some difficulty.
Pochard,_Red-crested Netta rufina Found: North America (escapees), Europe, Asia, Africa
The male Red-crested Pochard has brown back, reddish-orange head, red bill, blackneck, black underparts with white flanks, black tail. Female has dark brown top of head and back, light brown sides, white lower part of head and neck, black bill with light tip. Nonbreeding male like female except has red bill.
Image by: 1) 4028mdk09 2) Luciano_95 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 
1, 2, 3) Female 4 - 7) Male
Pochard,_Rosy-billed also Rosybill Netta peposaca Found: South America
The male Rosy-bille Pochard has a pink bill; red bump at end of bill; black tip on bill; red eyes; black back, head, neck, breast; silver flanks; white under tail coverts. Female has brown upperparts; whitish underparts; bluish bill.
Image by: 1, 4) Nick Athanas - Argentia 2) Rachid_H 3) Gustavo Fernando Durán 5) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 6, 7 Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 
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1 - 3) Female 4 - 7) Male
Pochard,_Southern Netta erythrophthalma Found: Sourh America, Africa
The male Southern Pochard has black head, neck, breast; dark back; brown flanks. Female is brown overall with darker back; white patch at base of bill; white around most of eye; white line hehind eye; white swirl on neck.
Image by: 1, 2, 3)
Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 4) Leo_za1
1, 2) Female 3) Male
Genus Marmaronetta - 1 species
Duck, Marbled also Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris Found: southern Eurasia, northern Africa
Marbled Teal is grayish-brown overall, large light spots on upper back and flanks, dark lower back, dark rear part of head and dark eye patch.
Image by: 1, 2, 3)
Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 4) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 5) Cristiano Crolle - Racconigi, Italy
Genus Asarcornis - 1 species
The White-winged duck was formerly include with the Muscovy Duck in genus Cairina. However it now seems closer to diving ducks.
Duck, White-winged Wood also White-winged Duck Asarcornis scutulata Found: southeast Asia
TThe White-winged Wood Duck has a dark brown body; white speckled head and neck. Sexes are similar in appearance, but the male is larger.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Dick - Sylvan Heights 
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Considering size 1) Female 2) Male
