More Wintering Ducks

They enjoy our winters but will be heading back up north soon

Here is another sampling of the ducks that are wintering in Tucson now. There are a number of ponds and lakes at various local city and county parks, golf courses, and neighborhoods to host these birds. Soon, especially as warm as our winter has been, these birds will be migrating back north to their breeding grounds. The Northern Pintail may be one of the most elegant and handsome ducks around. The long tail feathers give this species its name. You can't always tell how fast a duck is paddling but this one is going fast enough to cause the water to rise on its chest.

The long neck and thin white pinstripe on its chocolate colored head is a smart look. This Pintail had finished preening and did a final stretch and flap of its wings before settling down.

Gadwall ducks are very understated with their looks. The male is gray/brown with a distinctive black rump patch.

People often call Ring-necked Ducks "Ring-billed Ducks" because of the very noticeable ring around their bills. The ring around its neck is rarely visible. Although this male Ring-necked is swimming away from me, its head is lifted up to show the usually hidden, coppery ring around its neck!!

This close-up tells us three things about the Ring-necked duck. First, you can see the chestnut colored ring around its neck. Second, these are diving ducks and feed on both aquatic invertebrates and submerged plant material. You can see some green plants stuck to the back of its bill. Third, just before this duck dives under water, it lays the feathers on its head back, giving it a flat headed look. This bird is just about to dive!

As is common in many species of ducks, the plumage of the female Ring-billed Duck is more muted than that of the males. She is brown-bodied with a gray head. She has a white eye-ring and a white ring around her bill.

Green-winged Teals are small ducks. The male has a 'cinnamon' colored head with a shiny green streak running from the eye to the back of its head. The male Green-winged also has a white stripe on its side. Male and female Green-winged Teals have green patches on their wings that are visible in flight but not usually when they are on the water.

Male Redheads have a red head, of course, set against a black breast and what the allaboutbirds website refers to as a "business gray" body. An interesting fact about Redheads is that the females will lay some of their eggs in other ducks' nests. This strategy is called "brood parasitism" and allows for other birds to incubate the Redhead eggs.

All of these photos were taken this winter at either Sweetwater Wetlands, Agua Caliente Park, or Columbus Park, but you can find wintering ducks at all of the ponds, lakes and bodies of water throughout Pima County.