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Redhead Duck
Aythya americana
{Species
Archive Index}
photo ©Larry Richardson, DO NOT USE without his permission
Identifiers- 14" body, exterior wing dark, interior white,
blue-gray bill with black tip, male; red head, white ring near bill tip and
yellow eyes, dark breast, females; mostly brown plumage
Adaptations-
legs are set back on body to facilitate diving
Status-
most common in panhandle and central Florida in winter, absent in extreme
southern Florida
Distribution- breeds mainly in western
north America
- winter migrants occur through most of U.S.
Habitat-
freshwater and coastal wetlands
Reproduction- 9-15 eggs, one brood per year
Diet- grasses, seeds, aquatic invertebrates
Fun facts
- poor at walking
- heavy bodies require a running start on water to fly
- Canvasback has paler back and sides and slimmer bill
- populations decreasing in west due to habitat loss, some breeding ranges
extending eastward
- hunting restrictions in place to aid in conservation
{Species
Archive Index} |
