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Mallard
Britain and North America. The green-headed male is familiar, but the mottled brown female may be the bird you have to work out. Look for the blue wing patch bordered in white when the wing opens. Then watch how the duck feeds, tipping forward in shallow water with its tail in the air.
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Northern shoveler
Britain and North America. Focus on the bill. The broad, flattened tip is useful on the brown female as well as the colorful male. Watch a flock on shallow water and you may see the ducks sweeping that oversized bill across the surface to strain out food.
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Canada goose
Britain and North America. A white strap runs under the chin and up both sides of the black head. The bird is native to North America and was introduced to Britain, where you can see established flocks. On North American waters, the similar cackling goose generally has a shorter bill and neck.
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Whooper swan
Britain. Look for white swans with long necks and large yellow wedges extending forward on black bills. Whoopers winter on wetlands and may also feed in nearby fields. If a group calls, their loud, trumpetlike notes are another clue.
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Mute swan
Britain and parts of North America. The adult’s orange bill has a black knob at its base, an easier mark to see than the curve of its neck. Mute swans are familiar residents in Britain and were introduced to North America. Look for them on park ponds as well as larger lakes.
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Brant (goose)
Britain and North America. Called the brent goose in Britain, this small, dark goose often winters along coasts. An adult shows a thin white marking on the side of its black neck, much lower than a Canada goose’s bold white cheek patch. The dark-bellied form pictured here winters on British coasts.
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Northern pintail
Britain and North America. Scan winter wetlands for a slim duck with a long, fine neck. The male’s pointed tail makes his silhouette distinctive even at a distance. In good light, look for a narrow white stripe running up each side of his brown neck toward the head.
More about Northern pintail8
Common goldeneye
Britain and North America. The male’s round white spot between the bill and yellow eye is a good first clue. Watch for his bright white sides when he surfaces. On North American waters, the Barrow’s goldeneye male has a more crescent-shaped white mark.
More about Common goldeneye9
Common merganser
Britain and North America. Called the goosander in Britain, this long-bodied duck dives for fish in lakes and rivers. Look for the narrow reddish bill. The female has a rusty head with a ragged crest and a sharp color break where the brown neck meets the pale chest.
More about Common merganser10
Eurasian wigeon
Britain. Listen for a clear whistle from a flock grazing on short wet grass or resting on open water. The male has a warm chestnut head with a cream stripe down the forehead. The short bill and round head help you recognize the shape even when the colors are hard to see.
More about Eurasian wigeon11
Eurasian teal
Britain. This is a small, compact duck, worth looking for along the shallow edges of a wetland. On the male, a green patch runs back from the eye across a chestnut head. A horizontal white stripe helps separate him from the North American form, whose male has a vertical white bar near the breast.
More about Eurasian teal12
Tufted duck
Britain. On a lake or reservoir, look for the male’s black head and back, bright white sides, and yellow eye. A little crest hangs down behind his head. The duck often vanishes in a dive, which helps narrow the possibilities before you can see the tuft.
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Wood duck
North America. Look for wood ducks on sheltered ponds and in flooded woods. Birds from much of the breeding range move south for winter. The male’s crest sweeps backward and his dark face has crisp white markings. The subtler female has a white ring that widens behind the eye.
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Bufflehead
North America. This very small duck dives in sheltered coastal water and on inland lakes. On a male, the white patch wraps around much of the back of his head. On a female, look for a single smaller white oval on the side of an otherwise dark head.
More about Bufflehead15
Hooded merganser
North America. Watch on ponds, rivers, or sheltered inlets for a duck with a slender bill and a surprisingly tall head. The male can fan his crest until the large white patch looks like a black-edged hood. The female has a soft cinnamon crest.
More about Hooded merganser16
American wigeon
North America. Check short grass beside a pond as well as the water itself. The male has a pale forehead and a green stripe running back from the eye. The round head and short bill give the bird a different silhouette from a mallard grazing nearby.
More about American wigeon17
Bewick's swan
Britain. This Eurasian form of the tundra swan comes from Arctic breeding grounds. On a white adult, the yellow at the base of the black bill usually looks like a small rounded patch. A whooper typically shows a larger yellow wedge that reaches farther toward the tip.
More about Bewick's swan18
Trumpeter swan
North America. On open water, look for a very large white swan with a long black bill that flows into the forehead in profile. A tundra swan can look similar, so compare head shape and size if both are present. Listen for the trumpeter’s low, resonant call.
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