The ducklings are ready to leave the nest almost immediately.įun Fact: Green-winged Teal don’t need to run across the surface of the water to take off. They lay up to 9 eggs, which take around 3 weeks to hatch. Nests of Green-winged Teal are on the ground in meadows and grasslands and near water. Green-winged Teal Calls: Male Green-winged Teal whistle and chatter, and females have a high-pitched quack. Nests of Green-winged Teal are on the ground in dense cover such as grass or thickets. You can find Green-winged Teal on flooded ground and shallow ponds in large flocks of up to 50 thousand. However, some ducks remain around the Rocky Mountains all year. Most Green-winged Teal migrate from breeding grounds in Alaska, Canada, and northern US states to the southern US states and the Pacific Coast. Both males and females have a green wing patch. The rest of their heads are brown, and they have grayish bodies.įemales are brown with a yellow streak along the tail. Males have a green stripe along the sides of their heads. Green-winged Teals are small dabbling ducks. They appear in 32% of checklists during spring migration and 21% of checklists during fall migration. Green-winged Teals are spotted in Alaska all year, but their numbers increase during migration from April to June and August to October. They are very long-lived, and they have been recorded at 27 years old. They are dabbling ducks that feed on water plants and do not dive. ![]() Mallards are one of the most commonly spotted and recognizable ducks that will happily be fed on ponds and rivers. Those that breed in Canada and Alaska head south to the southern United States and northern Mexico. Mallards remain all year in most of the lower 48 and the western coast of Canada and Alaska. They have a curl of tail feathers and a blue patch on the wings bordered with white which is called a speculum.įemales and juveniles are mottled brown with orange bills but still have the blue speculum. ![]() They also have bright yellow bills and gray bodies with brown breasts and black towards the tail. Mallards are large ducks, and the males have striking green heads. They are recorded in 21% of summer checklists and 26% of winter checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state. Mallards are common in Alaska and are spotted here all year. There is still some debate about whether some of these ducks should be included in a different subfamily, and these include Wood Ducks, Mandarin Ducks, and Muscovy Ducks. They also feed on land for seeds and grain or insects. They sweep their heads from side to side while taking small ‘bites’ or ‘nibbles’ of the water to filter out plants. ![]() Dabbling Ducks (8 Species)ĭabbling ducks are freshwater ducks that feed on the surface of the water or by tipping up with their heads into the water and their rears into the air. There are 8 types of dabbling ducks, 7 types of diving ducks, and 14 types of sea ducks that have been spotted in Alaska. This guide will help you identify the types of ducks spotted in Alaska that are classed as regularly occurring according to avibase and the American Birding Association and uses data collected from bird watchers on ebird to give real information about when these birds can be spotted.ĭucks By Season Ducks In Alaska By Seasonĭucks in Alaska all year: Mallard, Gadwall, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Canvasback, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Common Eider, King Eider, Steller’s Eiderĭucks in Alaska in summer: Blue-winged Teal, Ruddy Duckĭucks in Alaska in winter: Eurasian Wigeon, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Hooded Merganserĭucks in Alaska during migration: Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, Spectacled Eider Types Of Ducks In Alaska: All domesticated ducks are descended from the mallard. ![]() Female ducks are either called ducks or hens. Male ducks are called drakes, and they are more colorful than females. They will eat plants both in the water and on land.ĭucks have hard pointed structures called lamellae around the edge of their beaks that look with teeth which they use to grasp vegetation and filter food through the water. Also, get a guide to help you identify ducks using clues such as ‘where is the white’ at the end of this article.ĭucks belong to many subfamilies, which also include swans and geese, but there is some debate and changing family groups for some species.ĭucks are omnivores and eat both plants and animals, especially insects, crustaceans, and small fish. This guide will help you identify all the species of ducks that can be spotted in Alaska with photo IDs and descriptions, audio recordings of their calls, fun facts, and more. Most people know a few duck species but I bet you’re surprised by the number of duck species that can be spotted in Alaska.
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