Redhead Ducks
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Description:
The Redhead Duck (Aythya americana is a medium-sized diving duck, 37 cm long with an 84 cm wingspan.
The adult male has a blue bill, a red head and neck, a black breast, yellow eyes and a grey back.
The adult female has a brown head and body and a darker bluish bill with a black tip.
Distribution:
The breeding habitat is marshes and prairie potholes in western North America. Loss of nesting habitat has led to sharply declining populations.
Following the breeding season, males go through a molt which leaves them flightless for almost a month. Before this happens, they leave their mates and move to large bodies of water, usually flying further north.
They overwinter in the southern and north-eastern United States, the Great Lakes region, northern Mexico and the Caribbean.
This strong migrant is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
Nesting:
Females regularly lay eggs in the nests of other Redheads or other ducks, especially Canvasbacks. Redheads usually take new mates each year, starting to pair in late winter.
Diet:
These birds feed mainly by diving or dabbling. They mainly eat aquatic plants with some molluscs, aquatic insects and small fish.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Related Web Resources: USGS ... Redhead (Virtual Bird Field Guide) ... Redheads (Aythya americana) (Photo & Info) ... Birds of Nova Scotia
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