Ducks in Ohio Blue Bill Diver Ducks in Ohio

By Tony Gazso, Interpretive Naturalist

Winter doesn't mean an end to bird migration. For many birds, Lake County is the place to be. Many birds including ducks and geese come to Ohio specificaly for the winter. That's right--many birds come to Ohio when most of us would rather be somewhere warmer. One such group of birds is waterfowl including ducks and geese. Ducks can be divided into two main categories: dabbling and diving. In this second part of a three-part series, we'll look at diving ducks and discuss some of the species we see in our lakes and ponds. (Don't forget to check our last post on dabbling ducks if you missed it).

What is a diving duck? A diving duck is a duck that dives completely underwater to search for food. These ducks can swim underwater and eat a wider variety of food than dabbling ducks including vegetation, invertebrates and fish. Although most diving ducks tend to stick to deeper bodies of water, some do frequent smaller ponds as well. And, as you'll see, there are a lot of similarities between species (some of them look nearly identical).

Ring-necked duck: One of the more common diving ducks (especially later in winter) is the ring-necked duck. Mostly gray and black, ring-necked ducks are named for the chestnut brown ring around their necks. This feature, however, is nearly impossible to see even at close range. It's better to look at the bill and overall silhouette of the bird to identify it. The bill is gray with a white and black tip. Their gray sides feature a white wedge shape at the shoulders which is a great way to identify them at a distance. Their dark head appears peaked, and in good light is a deep iridescent purple.

Ring-necked duck

Lesser scaup: Looking very similar to the ring-necked at first glance, the lesser scaup is slightly larger and features a gray bill that lacks the white accents of the ring-necked. Additionally, their backs are gray as opposed to black. The lesser scaup has a slightly peaked head, and the head shows a purple iridescence in good light. Lesser scaup are the more common of the two scaup species in our region, tending to prefer smaller bodies of water than their look-alike cousins who are next on the list. Lesser scaup are typically seen in large groups called rafts.

Lesser scaup

Greater scaup: Greater scaup are nearly identical to lesser scaup in virtually every way. In general they have rounder heads that show dark green iridescence in good light. These differences, however, are slight and some individuals can be nearly impossible to tell apart. Greater scaup can be found on Lake Erie in the winter and typically stick to larger bodies of water. In coastal regions, greater scaup are almost always in salt or brackish water while their lesser counterparts stick to fresh water.

Greater scaup

Redhead: Take the dark green head of the greater scaup and swap it for one that's a bright cinnamon color and you have a redhead! Common on all types of waterbodies in the region, redhead can be seen alone or in groups and feed primarily on underwater vegetation. They often mix in with groups of other species.

Redhead

Canvasback: These large diving ducks have the same basic color pattern as the redhead, but their size and shape make them stand out. They have a very distinctive gently-sloped forehead and large bill. Those bills are black as opposed to the redhead's gray, and they sport a bright red eye. In our region, they are typically found in Lake Erie but can be found on smaller waterbodies. Although omnivorous, in winter they primarily feed on underwater vegetation.

Canvasback

Bufflehead: Our smallest diving duck, the bufflehead is a striking black and white. In good light, their black heads are rainbows of iridescent colors. Bufflehead are common and widespread and can be found in small ponds and large bodies of water including the Great Lakes and even open ocean. They dive for mollusks and crustaceans.

Bufflehead

Ruddy duck: These small diving ducks can be seen in large groups on larger bodies of water in the area, such as in Lake Erie and in the Mentor Lagoons. During breeding season, the ruddy duck is a bright reddish-brown, has a bright white cheek, and sports a brilliant sky-blue bill. Unfortunately, we seldom see ruddy ducks in our area with their breeding plumage, instead seeing them in drab grayish brown. Their short tails that stand up will still help you identify them even when their bills aren't blue.

Ruddy duck

Common goldeneye: A medium-sized black and white duck, the common goldeneye has a dark green head, bright golden-yellow eye and white spot just behind the eye. They have distinct triangular-shaped heads with short but broad bills perfect for eating mollusks and crustaceans. Females have brown heads but lack the white spots. Less common inland, common goldeneye can be seen on Lake Erie in large numbers.

Common goldeneye

Hooded merganser: Our next three ducks are fish-eating specialists, each featuring a narrow bill with a hooked end for nabbing their fish prey. The smallest of our three merganser species is the hooded. Males have warm-brown underparts, black backs and black heads that feature a large white spot, the shape of which varies depending on if the bird is raising its crest or not. Females are plain brown and also feature a crested head. Look for hooded mergansers on smaller bodies of water.

Hooded merganser

Red-breasted merganser: Probably the most plentiful winter duck in the region, it's not uncommon to see 500 or more of these birds out on Lake Erie in a single afternoon. Males feature a reddish-brown breast and dark green head with a shaggy crest. Females are a grayish brown and also sport a shaggy crest. In flight, large white bands on their wings, white neck rings and their overall slim silhouettes help identify them.

Red-breasted merganser

Common merganser: The largest of our three mergansers, the common is actually the least common in our area though they are widespread throughout their range. Males are mostly white with black backs and have green heads and bright red bills. The male common merganser is also the only merganser in our region to lack a crest. Females are gray and white with brown heads and shaggy crests.

 Common merganser

There are plenty more diving ducks to be found, but these are some of the likely ones you'll see in our area. Join us next time for part three of our waterfowl series where we'll take a look at geese and some uncommon sea ducks that find their way to our area in the winter.

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Source: http://www.lakemetroparks.com/birding-blog/december-2020/winter-waterfowl-part-two-br-diving-ducks

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