Ducks are some of the most handsome birds in the USA. These waterbirds have beautifully patterned plumage and patches of iridescence. Even better, ducks are some of the easiest birds to watch!
In much of the USA, several duck species are common birds. One of those places is Illinois. But who is the most common one and how to even identify them?
We looked into eBird data to figure out 10 most common ducks, and here they are!
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Mallard
Scientific name: Anas platyrhynchos
Length: 23 inches
Wingspan: 35 inches
Mallards are the most familiar duck species. For lots of folks, this is “the duck”. They have been domesticated for centuries and lots of them are fed at urban ponds and lakes.
However, make no doubt about it, Mallards are wild birds that also live in lots of wild and remote areas in most of North America. The males have a dark green head, narrow white collar, yellowish beak, and dark brown chest.
Female Mallards, though, can be trickier to identify. They are brown with some paler brown and dark markings, and have a gray-brown neck and head with a dark cap, and a dark line through their eyes.
In flight, we can also recognize female Mallards by their pale tail, and two white wing bards bordering a green-blue wing patch.
In addition to eating bird food and vegetables, Mallards dabble in shallow water for plant matter and small creatures.
Key identifications:
- Big duck with a glossy green head and yellowish beak.
- The female has a dark center mark on her orange beak.
- Short, pale, or white tail.
Wood Duck
Scientific name: Aix sponsa
Length: 18.5 inches
Wingspan: 30 inches
Wood Ducks are seriously ornamental birds. The males can seem so exotic, it might be hard to believe they are a wild, native species! However, Wood Ducks are indeed native and fairly common in many parts of southern Canada and the USA.
These cute, slender, long-tailed ducks prefer wooded swamps and other wetlands in forested habitats. The males have a rounded head with a dark green crest, black and white face, short red beak, and jade green back. They also have bright buff flanks and a chestnut chest and undertail.
Female Wood Ducks grayish-brown birds that aren’t nearly as fancy but can still be recognized by their blocky head, white spectacles, slender shape, and mostly dark wings.
Wood Ducks usually occur in pairs but can also form small flocks that forage for acorns, plant matter, and small creatures in and near water. We often hear these ducks give their odd, squealing whistle vocalization before we see them.
Key identifications:
- Slender duck with a longish tail and a blocky head.
- Ornate plumage a short, reddish beak.
- Dark wings with a narrow white line on the base of the trailing edge.
Common Goldeneye
Scientific name: Bucephala clangula
Length: 18.5 inches
Wingspan: 26 inches
Common Goldeneyes are small ducks with a stout, triangular beak. Males are mostly white with some black markings and have green iridescence on their black heads. They also have a round white patch on their face.
Female Common Goldeneyes have gray bodies with a white belly, a pale collar, and a dark, gray-brown head. They also usually have a pale tip on their beaks.
Both sexes of this pretty little duck have pale eyes, and, in flight, show big white patches on the base of their wings.
Common Goldeneyes nest in tree cavities near lakes and other wetlands in forest from Alaska and Canada to parts of the northern USA.
After breeding, they form flocks that migrate to coastal areas, lakes, and other bodies of water in most of the USA.
These cute ducks dive underwater to forage for small mollusks and other aquatic creatures.
Key identifications:
- Small duck with a fairly large, stout blackish beak, and pale eyes.
- Male is black and white with a round white mark on his green-black face.
- Female has mostly gray body with a dark brown head.
Blue-winged Teal
Scientific name: Spatula discors
Length: 15.5 inches
Wingspan: 23 inches
Blue-winged Teals are small ducks with brownish plumage and fairly big, dark beaks. In a lot of places, these little ducks are the commonest waterfowl species. They are also highly migratory and thousands can spend the winter as far south as Panama and northern Colombia!
Male Blue-winged Teals have dark gray heads and a bold white, crescent-shaped patch on their face. They also have a small white patch near their dark tail and a black undertail. Females are duller brown with buff and dark mottling to help hide them during the nesting season.
In flight, just like their name says, both sexes reveal big blue patches on their wings. Blue-winged Teals usually occur in flocks, and in some places, they can number in the thousands!
They like to dabble for plants and small creatures in rice fields, marshes, and other shallow water wetlands. We can see them in most of Canada and the USA.
Key identifications:
- Small duck with a dark beak and white crescent mark on its face.
- Female has a dark line through her dark eyes.
- Blue or blue-gray shoulders on its wings.
Bufflehead
Scientific name: Bucephala albeola
Length: 13.5 inches
Wingspan: 21 inches
Buffleheads are small, cute ducks with rounded heads and stout little beaks. Males are bold, black and white birds with a big white patch on their head. In good light, their head also has green and purple iridescence.
Female Buffleheads are more gray-brown with a white belly, and have a smaller white head patch.
During their fast flight, Buffleheads show a white patch in their wings although the female’s white patch is smaller. These ducks breed on northern, forested lakes in Alaska, Canada, and parts of the northwestern USA.
Like some other small ducks, they need tree cavities for nesting and often use holes made by Northern Flickers.
For the winter, they migrate to coastal waters and lakes, big rivers, and reservoirs in parts of southern Canada and most of the USA.
Buffleheads dive to forage for mollusks and other small creatures. They also occur in flocks, sometimes with goldeneyes and other diving birds, especially in winter.
Key identifications:
- Small chunky duck with stout gray beak.
- Rounded head with a bold white patch.
- Mostly black and white or grayish with a white belly and small white wing patch.
Hooded Merganser
Scientific name: Lophodytes cucullatus
Length: 18 inches
Wingspan: 24 inches
The Hooded Merganser is one of the prettiest little ducks in North America. Breeding males are handsome ducks with a rounded black and white head, and black neck and back. Their jet black upperparts combine nicely with two black marks on a white chest, and rich, pumpkin-colored flanks.
Females aren’t as colorful but are still pretty in their own way. These brown-gray birds have a slender, yellowish beak, and a deep, caramel-colored, rounded crest.
Both sexes also have a longish, somewhat pointed tail, and small white markings on the base of their slender dark wings.
Hooded Mergansers dive for crayfish, small fish, and other small creatures in wooded swamps and marshes. We don’t see them flock together as much as other ducks do, and they usually occur as pairs.
They mostly breed in forests of southern and western Canada, and the northeastern USA, and winter in wooded wetlands along the Pacific coast and in the eastern USA.
Key identifications:
- Small duck with a small, slender beak.
- Blocky or rounded head.
- White belly and a bit of white on the base of narrow wings.
Common Merganser
Scientific name: Mergus merganser
Length: 25 inches
Wingspan: 34 inches
Common Mergansers are big and slender ducks with pointed red beaks. Based on their size, the English name of “Goosander” for this bird seems fitting!
Breeding males are white with a dark green head and some black on their back and wings.
Female and nonbreeding male Common Mergansers are gray with a brown head, small white throat, and white on their belly. When flying, this species shows a lot of white on the base of their wings.
They have fast, direct flight and, after the breeding season, usually occur in small flocks.
These highly aquatic ducks catch fish and crustaceans after pursuing them underwater. They nest on cold lakes and rivers in Alaska, Canada, and in the northern and western USA. For the winter, Common Mergansers migrate to reservoirs and big lakes in much of the nation.
However, they tend to be rare in the southeastern part of the country.
Key identifications:
- Red, pointed beak.
- Distinct brown head with a white throat.
- Males have all white underparts.
Northern Shoveler
Scientific name: Spatula clypeata
Length: 19 inches
Wingspan: 30 inches
Northern Shovelers are a distinctive duck species with a big, prominent beak. Males have striking plumage with a dark green head, and white and chestnut underparts. They are also white and gray on their back, have orange legs, and show blue shoulders in flight.
Female Northern Shovelers are tawny-brown ducks with lots of buff markings, and an orange and gray beak. Both sexes also have a pale tail.
These pretty ducks like to float in marshes and other shallow wetland habitats. They often form flocks and we can see them foraging with Blue-winged Teals and other dabbling ducks. Like many other duck species, Northern Shovelers feed on a combination of plant matter and small aquatic creatures.
This species breeds in shallow wetlands in Alaska, western and central Canada, and in parts of the northern and western USA. They migrate to coastal marshes and much of the southern USA for the winter.
Key identifications:
- Over-sized, flat beak.
- Male has a white breast, red-brown sides and belly, and dark green head.
- Female has a pale tail and orange and gray beak.
Gadwall
Scientific name: Mareca strepera
Length: 20 inches
Wingspan: 33 inches
Gadwalls are medium-sized ducks with a small white patch on the base of each wing. Males are gray ducks with a paler grayish head, some brown feathers on their wings, and a black rump, tail, and undertail.
Female Gadwalls look a lot like female Mallards and have gray-brown plumage with buff markings, and a paler grayish head. Like hen Mallards, they also have an orange and black beak but it is mostly gray on the upper part of the bill.
In flight, both sexes show white bellies, the small white mark on their wing, and much white on their underwings.
Gadwalls forage for seeds and other plant matter in and near shallow water.
These ducks breed in shallow wetlands in central and western Canada, and in various parts of the northern and western USA. They migrate through much of the USA and winter in coastal areas from Alaska to California, and in many western and southern states.
Key identifications:
- Male is mostly gray with black rear end.
- Female has grayish head and gray and orange beak.
- Small white patch on base of wing.
Ring-necked Duck
Scientific name: Aythya collaris
Length: 17 inches
Wingspan: 25 inches
Ring-necked Ducks are one of those birds that don’t have the best of names. While males do have a brown ring on their necks, it blends in with their black neck and can be really hard to see.
Ring-necked Ducks should really be called, “Ring-billed Ducks”! The males are best recognized by the white ring near the black tip of their dark gray beak, and their combination of a black back, head, neck, and chest. They also have gray sides and a white mark near their black chest.
Female Ring-necked Ducks are plain, brownish birds with pale bellies and narrow white spectacles on a grayish face. They also show a bit of white on their face, near the base of their bill.
Ring-necked Ducks dabble and make shallow dives for a variety of food items. They like to eat plant matter, insects, and other small aquatic creatures. We find them in a variety of shallow wetlands in much of North America.
Key identifications:
- Male has black back, head, and chest.
- Gray sides with white near the black chest.
- Female has narrow white spectacles on gray face.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of ducks live in Illinois?
Several kinds of ducks live in Illinois. There are 30 duck species on the official state list, five of which are rare migrants.
Are there ducks in Chicago?
Yes, there are many ducks in Chicago. Thousands of ducks migrate and winter in Lake Michigan and many other ducks use lakes and other wetlands in the Chicago area.
Do ducks migrate to Illinois?
Yes, many ducks migrate to Illinois.
Are ducks protected in Illinois?
Yes, ducks are protected in Illinois under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. However, there is a regulated duck hunting season.
Do Mallard ducks live in Illinois?
Yes, many Mallard ducks live in Illinois. According to eBird, Mallards are seen more than any other duck in the state.
More in Illinois: Most common birds | Hawks | Owls | Woodpeckers | Hummingbirds | State bird