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
Sea 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 seaducks, Merginae, form a subfamily of the duck, goose and swan family of birds, Anatidae. Most are essentially marine outside the breeding season. Many species have developed specialized salt glands to allow them to tolerate salt water. Some of the mergansers prefer riverine habitats. All but two of the approximately 20 species in this group occupy habitats in far northern latitudes. The fish-eating members of this group, such as the mergansers and Smew, have serrated edges to their bills to help them grip their prey. Other seaducks take molluscs or crustaceans from the sea floor.
Genus Bucephala
Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Found: North America
The male Bufflehead has black back, neck; black front of head and white rear of head; white breast, flanks, underparts. Female is grayish-brown with darker upperpart; white oval behind the eye.
Similar to: female Harlequn Duck. Female Harlequin has two white spots on the side of its head, a circular one near the back and another white spot on the cheek. Female Bufflehead has one oblong white mark on each side of its head.
Image by: 1) Alan_D_Wilson - Huntington Beach, California 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Sylvan
Heights 7) Dick - Arizona 8) Roy McBride - Vancouver, BCSimilar to: female Harlequn Duck. Female Harlequin has two white spots on the side of its head, a circular one near the back and another white spot on the cheek. Female Bufflehead has one oblong white mark on each side of its head.
1, 2, 3) Female 4 - 7) Male
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Goldeneye, Barrow's Bucephala islandica Found: Northern latitudes of North America, Iceland, Europe (rare)
The male Barrow's Goldeneye has golden eye; black back, head, rump; white crescent spot on cheek; white underparts and flanks; white dabs on back; black bill. Female has yellowish eye; brown head; gray back, tail; lighter gray breast and flanks; mostly yellow bill.
Similar to: Common Goldeneye. Male Barrow's Goldeneye has crescent white spot on cheek; male Common Goldeneye has oval white spot on cheek. Female Barrow's Golden has mostly yellow bill; female Common Goldeneye has mostly black bill.
Image by: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 3) Donna Dewhurst, USFWSSimilar to: Common Goldeneye. Male Barrow's Goldeneye has crescent white spot on cheek; male Common Goldeneye has oval white spot on cheek. Female Barrow's Golden has mostly yellow bill; female Common Goldeneye has mostly black bill.
1) Pair 2 - 5) Female 6 - 9) Male 7) A common pose
Goldeneye, Common Bucephala clangula Found: Northern latitudes of: North America, Europe
The male Common Goldeneye has golden eye; black back, head, rump; oval crescent spot on cheek; white underparts and flanks; white dabs on back; black bill. Female has yellowish eye; brown head; gray back, tail; lighter gray breast and flanks; black bill.
Similar to: Barrow's Goldeneye. Male Barrow's Goldeneye has crescent white spot on cheek; male Common Goldeneye has oval white spot on cheek. Female Barrow's Golden has mostly yellow bill; female Common Goldeneye has mostly black bill.
Image by: 1) Peggy 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights Similar to: Barrow's Goldeneye. Male Barrow's Goldeneye has crescent white spot on cheek; male Common Goldeneye has oval white spot on cheek. Female Barrow's Golden has mostly yellow bill; female Common Goldeneye has mostly black bill.
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1 - 4) Female 7, 8, 9) Male
Genus Clangula - 1 species
Duck, Long-tailed also Oldsquaw Clangula hyemalis Found: north coast regions of: North America, Europe, Asia
The Long-tailed Duck is brown and white. Wings are always dark. Male has long tail.
Winter male has mostly white head and neck with dark cheek patch, dark breast, white flanks. Summer male has dark neck, breast, and wings; mostly dark head with white face; dark gray bill with pink band.
Winter female has white neck and head with a dark crown. Summer female mostly brown upperparts, lighter flanks.
Similar to: Harlequin Duck (female). Harlequin Duck has white spot on side of head; Long-tailed Duck does not have similar white spot.
Image by: 1, 4, 5, 6) Alan D Wilson - Deep Bay Spit, Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia 2, 3, 7, 8) Dick Daniels - Alaska Sea Life Center, Seward AlaskaWinter male has mostly white head and neck with dark cheek patch, dark breast, white flanks. Summer male has dark neck, breast, and wings; mostly dark head with white face; dark gray bill with pink band.
Winter female has white neck and head with a dark crown. Summer female mostly brown upperparts, lighter flanks.
Similar to: Harlequin Duck (female). Harlequin Duck has white spot on side of head; Long-tailed Duck does not have similar white spot.
1) winter female 2, 3) summer female 4, 5, 6) winter male 8) summer male
Genus Histrionicus - 1 species
Duck, Harlequin Histrionicus histrionicus Found: North America, Greenland
The male Harlequin duck is boldly marked like a clown. Male has blue-black head, breast, and back, chestnut sides. There are white marks on head, breast, and back. Female has brownish-gray upperparts, mottled gray underparts, a few white spots on the head.
Similar to: female Bufflehead. Female Harlequin has two white spots on the side of its head, a circular one near the back and another white spot on the cheek. Female Bufflehead has one oblong white mark on each side of its head.
Similar to: Long-tailed Duck (female). Harlequin Duck has white spot on side of head; Long-tailed Duck does not have similar white spot.
Similar to: female Surf Scoter. Females of both species have 2 white spots on the side of their head. Surf Scoter has a much larger bill.
Image by: 1) New Jersy Birds 2) Alan D Wilson - Foot Of Kinkade Road, Qualicum
Beach, British Columbia 3) Alan D Wilson Clover
Point, Victoria, British Columbia 4,5) Dick Daniels- Sylvan Height 6, 7) Dick - Alaska Sea Life Center in SewardSimilar to: female Bufflehead. Female Harlequin has two white spots on the side of its head, a circular one near the back and another white spot on the cheek. Female Bufflehead has one oblong white mark on each side of its head.
Similar to: Long-tailed Duck (female). Harlequin Duck has white spot on side of head; Long-tailed Duck does not have similar white spot.
Similar to: female Surf Scoter. Females of both species have 2 white spots on the side of their head. Surf Scoter has a much larger bill.
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1) Pair 2, 3) Female 4, 5) Male breeding 6, 7) Male nonbreeding
Genus Lophodytes - 1 species
Merganser,_Hooded Lophodytes cucullatus Found: North America
The male Hooded Merganser often raises the head feathers which produces a hooded effect. He has a black head variable size white patch on the side, black back, white breast with a black stripe, reddish-brown sides, yellow eyes. Female has reddish head with crest, brown body which is darker on top, brown eyes.
Similar to: Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser. Hooded Merganser is considerably smaller. Lower part of head of female / nonbreeding male Hooded Merganser is lighter colored.
Image by: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 2, 5) Dick - North
Carolina 4) Hillary Chambers - Washington 8) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights Similar to: Common Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser. Hooded Merganser is considerably smaller. Lower part of head of female / nonbreeding male Hooded Merganser is lighter colored.
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1, Juvenile male 2, 3) Female 4, 5) Nonbreeding male 6 - 9) Breeding male
Genus Melanitta
The male scoters are mostly black with swollen bills; females mostly brown.
Scoter,_Black Melanitta americana Found: North America, Asia
The male Black Scoter is entirely black except for its yellow bulbous bill. The female is brown with pale cheeks.
Similar to: Common Scoter. Male Common Scoter has bulbous bill; male Black Scoter does not. Female Common Scoter has small whitish patch at base of bill; female Black Scoter has brown at base of biil.
Similar to: Surf Scoter (female). Female Surf Scoter has white spots of head; female Black Scoter has black head.
Similar to: White-winged Scoter. White-winged Scoter has white patches on wing that may be visible when folded; Black Scoter does not have similar patches. Male White-winged Scoter has white crescent on side of head; Black Scoter has all black head.
Image by: 1) Stonebird 2) Tom_Benson 3) Peter Massas 4, 6) Andrew Reding - Washington 5) Alan D. Wilson 6) Len Blumin - CaliforniaSimilar to: Common Scoter. Male Common Scoter has bulbous bill; male Black Scoter does not. Female Common Scoter has small whitish patch at base of bill; female Black Scoter has brown at base of biil.
Similar to: Surf Scoter (female). Female Surf Scoter has white spots of head; female Black Scoter has black head.
Similar to: White-winged Scoter. White-winged Scoter has white patches on wing that may be visible when folded; Black Scoter does not have similar patches. Male White-winged Scoter has white crescent on side of head; Black Scoter has all black head.
1, 2) Female 3) Juvenile male 4 - 7) Male
Scoter,_Common Melanitta nigra Found: Europe, Asia
The male Common Scoter has black plumage; bulbous bill with yellow around nostrils. Female has mottled brown plumage with pale cheeks.
Similar to: Black Scoter. Male Common Scoter has bulbous bill; male Black Scoter does not. Female Common Scoter has small whitish patch at base of bill; female Black Scoter has brown at base of biil.
Image by: 1, 3) JV Verde - Portugal 2) Stefan Bemdtsson 4) Mike_Prince 5) Jason Thompson - West Sussex Similar to: Black Scoter. Male Common Scoter has bulbous bill; male Black Scoter does not. Female Common Scoter has small whitish patch at base of bill; female Black Scoter has brown at base of biil.
1, 2) Female 3, 4, 5) Male
Scoter,_Surf Melanitta perspicillata Found: North America, Europe
The male Surf Scoter has black body, black head with white forehead and white nape. It has attention getting large orange, white, and black bill. Female is brown with pale head patches.
Similar to: Black Scoter (female). Female Surf Scoter has white spots of head; female Black Scoter has black head.
Similar to: female Bufflehead. Female Harlequin has two white spots on the side of its head, a circular one near the back and another white spot on the cheek. Female Bufflehead has one oblong white mark on each side of its head.
Similar to: female Harlequin Duck. Females of both species have 2 white spots on the side of their head. Surf Scoter has a much larger bill.
Image by: 1, 4) Alan D Wilson Huntington Beach, California 2) Elaine R Wilson Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Huntington Beach, California 3) Mike Baird - Los Osos, Morro Bay, CA, 5) Peter Massas - Barnegat, NJ, USA. Similar to: Black Scoter (female). Female Surf Scoter has white spots of head; female Black Scoter has black head.
Similar to: female Bufflehead. Female Harlequin has two white spots on the side of its head, a circular one near the back and another white spot on the cheek. Female Bufflehead has one oblong white mark on each side of its head.
Similar to: female Harlequin Duck. Females of both species have 2 white spots on the side of their head. Surf Scoter has a much larger bill.
6) Dick Daniels - Cape May, New Jersey ferry
1, 2) Female 3 - 6) Male
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Scoter,_White-winged Melanitta deglandi Found: North America, Asia
White-winged Scoter tends to be further inland than Surf or Black Scoters. It is the largest of the scoters. The male is predominantly black. It has a white crescent under the eye, white speculum; white under the wings, black knobby base to the bill. The female is brown with pale head patches.
Similar to: Black Scoter. White-winged Scoter has white patches on wing that may be visible when folded; Black Scoter does not have similar patches. Male White-winged Scoter has white crescent on side of head; Black Scoter has all black head.
Image by: 1) David Maher - Maine 2) USFWS 3, 6) Alan D. Wilson - White Rock, British Columbia 4) Len Blumin - Bodega Bay, California 5) Elaine
R Wilson - British Columbia Similar to: Black Scoter. White-winged Scoter has white patches on wing that may be visible when folded; Black Scoter does not have similar patches. Male White-winged Scoter has white crescent on side of head; Black Scoter has all black head.
1) Juvenile 2, 3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male
Genus Mergellus - 1 species
Smew Mergellus albellus Found: Europe, Asia
Male Smew has a black back. The rest of the body is white with distinguishing white lines, black eye patch. The flanks aer gray. Female Smew has gray body, white neck, brownish red head and nape.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- Sylvan Heights 
1 - 4) Female 5 - 8) Male
Genus Mergus
Fish-eating ducks that are in a sea-duck subfamily. But in spite of the sea they usually prefer rivers (except for Red-breasted Merganser). They have long thin bills with serrated edges which helps to firmly hold fish.
Merganser,_Brazilian Mergus octosetaceus Found: Brazil, Argentina
The Brazilian Merganser has dark gray upperparts; shiny dark green hood with crest; light gray breast; whitish belly; white wing patch; thin jagged black bill; red legs, feet. Female same color but smaller with smaller bill, crest. This sea duck is an exception to the rule that they occur just in northern latitudues.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Brazil 2) Claudio Timm 3) Savio Bruno - Brazil 4) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online
- Fabio_Rage
1) Pair, male on left 2) Female 3, 4) Male
Marganser,_Scaly-sided also Chinese Merganser Mergus squamatus Found: Asia
The Scaly-side Merganser has patterns on the flanks and that resemble scales, long and thin red bill, reddish-orange legs. Male has black head and back, white breast and underparts. Female has reddish-brown head; gray back.
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels -Sylvan Heights 2) Pinned 3, 5, 6) BS Thurner Hof 4) Jason_Thompson 7) Massimiliano_Sticca
1) Pair 2, 3) Female 4, 5, 6, 7) Male
Merganser,_Common also Goosander Mergus merganser Found: North America, Europe, Asia
The adult breeding male Common Merganser has black head and back, white neck and underparts. The female and eclipse male have reddish-brown head, white neck, gray back and underparts.
Similar to: Hooded Merganser. Hooded Merganser is considerably smaller. Lower part of head of female / nonbreeding male Hooded Merganser is lighter colored.
Similar to: Red-breasted Merganser. Female / nonbreeding male Common Merganser and female / nonbreeding male Red-breasted Merganser are similar. The Common Merganser has white under its chin while the Red-breasted doesn't. Also, the red on the neck of the Common Merganser ends aburptly compared to the gradual transition on the Red-breasted Merganser. For both species, the breeding male has a black head and the female / nonbreeding male does not.
Image by: 1, 5)
Quartl - Munich, Germany 2) Dick Daniels - Alaska 3, 8) Dick - Sylvan Heights 4) Ted
Grussing -
Arizona 6) Cristiano Crolle - Italy 7) Dick - New Hampshire 9) Mdf Ontario, Canada 10) Dick - Arizona Similar to: Hooded Merganser. Hooded Merganser is considerably smaller. Lower part of head of female / nonbreeding male Hooded Merganser is lighter colored.
Similar to: Red-breasted Merganser. Female / nonbreeding male Common Merganser and female / nonbreeding male Red-breasted Merganser are similar. The Common Merganser has white under its chin while the Red-breasted doesn't. Also, the red on the neck of the Common Merganser ends aburptly compared to the gradual transition on the Red-breasted Merganser. For both species, the breeding male has a black head and the female / nonbreeding male does not.
1) Female with chicks 2 - 7) Female or nonbreeding male 8 - 10) Breeding male
2) Note the fishing line leading to the probably doomed bird's mouth.
Merganser,_Red-breasted Mergus serrator Found: North America, Europe, Asia
The Red-breasted Merganser has a long, thin red bill, fuzzy to spiky head feathers. The male has black head and back, white neck and underparts, rusty to dark breast. Female has rusty head, gray upperparts, light underparts.
Similar to: Common Merganser. Female / nonbreeding male Common Merganser and female / nonbreeding male Red-breasted Merganser are similar. The Common Merganser has white under its chin while the Red-breasted doesn't. Also, the red on the neck of the Common Merganser ends aburptly compared to the gradual transition on the Red-breasted Merganser. For both species, the breeding male has a black head and the female / nonbreeding male does not.
Similar to: Hooded Merganser. Hooded Merganser is considerably smaller. Lower part of head of female / nonbreeding male Hooded Merganser is lighter colored.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 8) Dick Daniels - North Carolina 6) Dick - New Orleans, Louisianna 4) Dick - Biloxi, Mississippi 5) Alan D Wilson - Huntington Beach, California 7) Ingrid Taylor - Washington Similar to: Common Merganser. Female / nonbreeding male Common Merganser and female / nonbreeding male Red-breasted Merganser are similar. The Common Merganser has white under its chin while the Red-breasted doesn't. Also, the red on the neck of the Common Merganser ends aburptly compared to the gradual transition on the Red-breasted Merganser. For both species, the breeding male has a black head and the female / nonbreeding male does not.
Similar to: Hooded Merganser. Hooded Merganser is considerably smaller. Lower part of head of female / nonbreeding male Hooded Merganser is lighter colored.
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Eiders
Eiders are large seaducks. They breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quilts—they have given the name to the type of quilt known as an eiderdown.
Genus Polysticta - 1 species
Eider, Steller's Polysticta stelleri Found: North America, Europe, Asia
Steller's Eider is mainly found in Alaska. The male is unmistakable with its black upperparts and neck collar, white head and yellowish underparts. The female is a dark brown bird, smaller with a more typically duck-shaped head and body than other eider species. [Wikipedia]
Image by: 1, 3) Laura Whitehouse, USFWS - Alaska SeaLife Center, Anchorage 2) Glen Smart, USFWS 3, 4) Ómar Runólfsson - Iceland
1, 2) Female 3) Pair 4, 5) Male
Genus Somateria
These eiders all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
Eider, Common Somateria mollissima Found: North America, Europe, Asia
The Common Eider is the largest eider. It has a large wedge shaped bill. Male is black and white with a green nape. Female is brown.
Similar to: King Eider female. Female Common Eider is bigger than female King Eider. Female Common Eider has a crisp, wedge-shaped bill. The base of the female King Eider's bill gives the appearance of a smile.
Image by:
1, 8, 10, 11) Dick Daniels - Scotland 3, 5) Dick - Sylvan Heights 4) Dick - Maine 2) Amanda Boyd, USFWS - Massachusetts 6) Olafur Larsen 7) Seabamirum - New Jersey 9) Cristiano Crolle - Como Lake, northern Italy 12) Steve Garvie - Scotland Similar to: King Eider female. Female Common Eider is bigger than female King Eider. Female Common Eider has a crisp, wedge-shaped bill. The base of the female King Eider's bill gives the appearance of a smile.
1) Pair 2 - 5) Female 6) Male nonbreeding 7) Male eclipse 8 - 12) Male breeding
Eider, King Somateria spectabilis Found: North America, Europe, Asia
The breeding male King Eider has a black belly and lower back; white breast, upper back, shoulders, face; multicolored head. Female is mottled brown with white arc above the eye. Nonbreeding male is plain brown is still distinguished by its bill.
Similar to: Common Eider female. Female Common Eider is bigger than female King Eider. Female Common Eider has a crisp, wedge-shaped bill. The base of the female King Eider's bill gives the appearance of a smile.
Image by: 1, 2) Ómar Runólfsson - Iceland 3, 4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward 7) Gary Sutherland 8, 9, 10) Dick - Sylvan HeightsSimilar to: Common Eider female. Female Common Eider is bigger than female King Eider. Female Common Eider has a crisp, wedge-shaped bill. The base of the female King Eider's bill gives the appearance of a smile.
1) Female King Eider (front), female Common Eider (rear) 2, 3, 4) Female 5, 6) Male nonbreeding 7, 8, 9) Male breeding
Eider, Spectacled Somateria fischeri Found: North America, Asia
The Spectacled Eider can be distinguished from other eiders by its spectacle-like eye patches. The spectacles are bright white for the male, not as vivid for the female, but still quite evident.
Image by: 1, 3, 5) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights 2, 6) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights 4) Dory - Nome, Alaska 7, 8) Laura Whitehouse 
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1, 2, 3) Female 4) Male 1st winter 5, 6) Male juvenile 7, 8) Male breeding
