Anatidae - Ducks, Geese, Swans	Classification  Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata  Class: Aves  Order: Anseriformes  Family: Anatidae

Most of the species in this family are herbivores and eat leaves, stems, roots, seeds, and other plant parts. Many species also eat insects, small fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.

The birds in this family have webbed feet and broad bills. Chicks are precocial - that means they can feed themselves and swim a few hours after birth.

Anatidae Photo Gallery

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct Not Enough Data
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist.

U.S. Status Key Threatened in US Endangered in US Introduced Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife. Click on U.S. status icon to go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife species profile.

New Hampshire Status Key Threatened in NH Endangered in NH Breeds in NH (birds) Status taken from NH Fish and Game

Location Key
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North America South America NH Click for More Info Click for Image

Additional Information

Resource Key
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African Comb Duck - Sarkidiornis melanotos
The African comb duck is found in South America, south Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

African Pygmy-goose - Nettapus auritus
The African pygmy-goose is found in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the smallest species of waterfowl found in Africa.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

American Black Duck - Anas rubripes
The American black duck breeds across Canada from Manitoba east to Newfoundland and south to Minnesota and eastern Virginia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Black Duck - Anas rubripes
The American black duck is not really black. It is a dark brown. It was once known as the dusky duck.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Black Duck - Anas rubripes
The American black duck is a dabbling duck that feeds in shallow water.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Wigeon - Mareca americana
The American wigeon breeds from western Canada into the American Northwest. It winters mainly along the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts and is found throughout the United States during migration.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Andean Goose - Chloephaga melanoptera
The Andean goose is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Andean Teal - Anas andium
The Andean teal is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Boliva.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Ashy-headed Goose - Chloephaga poliocephala
The ashy-headed goose is found in Argentina and Chile.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Auckland Island Teal - Anas aucklandica
The Auckland Island teal is found in New Zealand's sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Auckland Island Teal - Anas aucklandica
Introduced cats and pigs caused the Aukland Island teal's extinction on Auckland Island in the Aukland Island group.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Auckland Island Teal - Anas aucklandica
The Auckland Island teal is a flightless bird.
Source: New Zealand Birds Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Auckland Merganser- Mergus australis
The Auckland merganser was found in the Auckland Islands, New Zealand. The last two birds were shot by a hunter in 1902.
Source: New Zealand Birds Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Australian Shelduck - Tadorna tadornoides
The Australian shelduck is found in Australia and New Zealand.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Australasian Shoveler - Anas rhynchotis
The Australasian shoveler is found in Australia and New Zealand.
Source: Birdlife Australia Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Australasian Shoveler - Anas rhynchotis
The Australasian shovelers are filter feeders.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Australian Wood Duck - Chenonetta jubata
The Australian wood duck is found in Australia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Australian Wood Duck - Chenonetta jubata
The Australian wood duck looks like a small goose and is also known as the maned duck or the maned goose
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Baer's Pochard - Aythya baeri
Baer's pochard is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, India, North Korea, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: Archive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Baikal Teal - Anas formosa
The Baikal teal is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, Russia, and Taiwan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Baikal Teal - Anas formosa
The Baikal teal is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, Russia, and Taiwan.
Source: Archive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bar-headed Goose - Anser indicus
The bar-headed goose is found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Source: Archive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bar-headed Goose - Anser indicus
The bar-headed goose is found at elevations of 4,000-6,000 feet.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Barnacle Goose - Branta leucopsis
The barnacle goose is found in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Source: Archive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Barnacle Goose - Branta leucopsis
There are four main migrant population groups of baranacle geese.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Barrow's Goldeneye - Bucephala islandica
Barrow's goldeneye breeds in the western United States in the mountains from Alaska south to Oregon and Colorado. In the east, it breeds in Quebec and Labrador. It winters along the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California and along the Atlantic Coast from the Maritime Provinces in Canada south to Long Island, New York. It is also found in Iceland.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bean Goose - Anser fabalis
The bean goose is found in Europe and Asia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black-bellied Whistling-duck-Dendrocygna autumnalis
The black-bellied whistling-duck is found in southern Arizona and Texas south to South America
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black-headed Duck - Heteronetta atricapilla
The black-headed duck is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black-headed Duck - Heteronetta atricapilla
The black-headed duck is sometimes called the cuckoo duck because it laysand leaves its eggs in the nests of other birds.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black-necked Swan - Cygnus melancoryphus
The black-necked swan is found in southern South America.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black-necked Swan - Cygnus melancoryphus
The black-necked swan has a white body and a black neck and head.
Source: St. Louis Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Middle School

Black-necked Swan - Cygnus melancoryphus
The black-necked swan is found in shallow coastal areas along the Pacific Ocean, inland lakes, lagoons, estuaries, and marshes.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black Scoter - Melanitta americana
The black scoter breeds on freshwater tundra ponds in western Alaska and Labrador and Newfoundland in Canada. It winters on bays along the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the Great Lakes.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black Scoter - Melanitta americana
The black scoter is a medium- sized diving duck. When it is at sea, it dives for crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, and marine worms. When it is in its breeding range, it eats aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic insects and plants.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black Swan - Cygnus atratus
The black swan is native to Australia and New Zealand.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black Swan - Cygnus atratus
Black swans can be found in lake, river, and swampland habitats.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue Duck - Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
The blue duck is found in New Zealand.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue Duck - Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
The blue duck is found in rivers or streams in mountainous regions.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue Duck - Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
The blue duck is also known as the whio.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue-billed Duck - Oxyura australis
The blue-billed duck is found in Australia.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue-winged Goose - Cyanochen cyanoptera
The blue-winged goose is found in Ethiopia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue-winged Goose - Cyanochen cyanoptera
The blue-winged goose population is threatened by drainage of its highland wetland habitat and perhaps by hunting.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Blue-winged Teal - Spatula discors
The blue- winged teal has a light blue wing patch that can be seen when it is in flight.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue-winged Teal - Spatula discors
The blue- winged teal is one of the last ducks to migrate north in the spring, and one of the first to migrate south in the fall.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Blue- winged Teal - Spatula discors
The blue- winged teal is found in shallow ponds and wetlands.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brant Goose - Branta bernicla
The brant goose breeds in coastal Alaska and Arctic Canada. It winters along both coasts south to California, the Carolinas, and Mexico. Brants are also found in Europe and Asia. It is also known as the brent goose and the Russian goose..
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brant Goose - Branta bernicla
Brants don't migrate in V's like Canada geese or straight lines like snow geese. They fly in unorganized groups. They are very vocal when they migrate and make a loud "cronk" sound.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brazilian Merganser - Mergus octosetaceus
The Brazilian merganser is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brazilian Merganser - Mergus octosetaceus
The Brazilian merganser has a small and fragmented population that is impacted by river pollution and damming.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Bronze-winged Duck - Speculanas specularis
The bronze-winged duck is found in Argentina and Chile. It is also known as the spectacled duck.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brown Teal - Anas chlorotis
The brown teal is found in New Zealand.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Brown Teal - Anas chlorotis
The brown teal population is threatened by predation and deterioration of agricultural habitats.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola
During breeding season, the bufflehead is found from Alaska east to Quebec, Canada and south in the mountains from Washington to Montana. It winters from Alaska east to Nova Scotia, Canada and south throughout the most of the continental United States south to Mexico.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola
The bufflehead is the smallest diving duck in North America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cackling Goose - Branta hutchinsii
The cackling goose breeds on the tundra in Alaska and Canada. It winters in the Pacific Coast states and in New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cackling Goose - Branta hutchinsii
The cackling goose was once thought to be a small version of the Canada goose, but DNA analysis showed it was a seperate species.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Campbell Island Teal - Anas nesiotis
The Campbell Island teal is found in New Zealand.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Campbell Island Teal - Anas nesiotis
The Campbell Island teal is flightless.
Source: TerraNature Trust Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Campbell Island Teal - Anas nesiotis
Predation by Norway rats almost led to the extinction of the Campbell Island teal.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
The Canada goose is found throughout Canada and the United States. It It has been introduced to Ireland, Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Canada geese feed by dabbling in the water or grazing in fields and large lawns.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Male Canada geese fight over females with their wings and bills.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Canada geese can travel 1,500 miles in just 24 hours with a good wind, but they usually travel at a much slower rate.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cape Barren Goose - Cereopsis novaehollandiae
The Cape Barren goose is found on small off-shore islands off the southern coast of Australia and in small numbers in Tasmania.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cape Shoveler - Anas smithii
The Cape shoveler is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Canvasback - Aythya valisineria
The canvasback breeds from Alaska south and east to Nebraska and Minnesota. It winters on the the Great Lakes, on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts, and in Mexico.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Canvasback - Aythya valisineria
The canvasback is a diving duck and eats green aquatic vegetation. One of its favorite foods is wild celery (Vallisneria americana), in fact, that is where it gets its Latin name! 
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Chestnut Teal - Anas castanea
The chestnut teal is found in Australia.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Chiloé Wigeon - Anas sibilatrix
The Chiloé wigeon is found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, and Uruguay.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Chinese Spot-billed Duck - Anas zonorhyncha
The Chinese spot-billed duck is found in Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, Russia, and Taiwan.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cinnamon Teal - Spatula cyanoptera
The cinnamon teal breeds in western North America from British Columbia in Canada east to Montana and south to California, Texas, and Mexico. It is also found in Central and South America. It winters in the southern part of its breeding range.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cinnamon Teal - Spatula cyanoptera
Cinnamon teals travel in small flocks made up of male and female pairs. They are very fast flyers and can take off directly from the water.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Comb Duck - Sarkidiornis melanotos
The male comb duck has a dark grey growth or ‘comb’ on the top of his bill.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Comb Duck - Sarkidiornis melanotos
During breeding season, the males comb becomes larger than normal.
Source: Honolulu Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School

Common Eider - Somateria mollissima
During breeding season, the common eider is found across Alaska and Canada south to Massachusetts. In the winter, it is found along the Pacific Coast from Alaska south to Washington and along the Atlantic Coast from Canada south to New York. The common eider is also found in Europe and Asia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Eider - Somateria mollissima
The common eider is a diving duck, and it eats mussels, clams, scallops, sea urchins, starfish, and crabs. 
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Eider - Somateria mollissima
The down of the common eider is very soft and thick and is good insulation from cold ocean waters.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Goldeneye-Bucephala clangula
During breeding season, the common goldeneye is found from Alaska across Canada and the northern most parts of the United States. It winters from southern Canada and Alaska throughout the United States south to Mexico. It is also found in Europe and Asia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Goldeneye-Bucephala clangula
The wings of the common goldeneye make a whistling sound when they are in flight, and the common goldeneye is sometimes called the whistler.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula
During the breeding season, common goldeneyes are found on northern lakes and rivers that are surrounded by mature forests where tree cavities can be found for nesting.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Merganser - Mergus merganser
The common merganser breeds from Alaska east to Newfoundland and south to California, New Mexico, the Great Lakes region, and New England. It winters from southern Canada south to northern Mexico. It is also found in Europe and Asia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Merganser - Mergus merganser
The common merganser dives for prey like fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Merganser - Mergus merganser
The common merganser is a good swimmer and diver, but it is awkward on land. It runs across the water to build up enough speed to take off and fly.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Pochard - Aythya ferina
The common pochard is a medium- sized diving duck.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Pochard - Aythya ferina
The common pochard breeds across much of Europe and Asia. It winters in souther Europe and Asia and in northern Africa.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna
The common shelduck is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Coscoroba Swan - Coscoroba coscoroba
The Coscoroba swan is found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Middle School

Coscoroba Swan - Coscoroba coscoroba
The Coscoroba swan is the smallest species of swan.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cotton Pygmy-goose - Nettapus coromandelianus
The cotton pygmy-goose is found in Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Crested Duck - Lophonetta specularioides
The crested duck is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, the Falkland Islands, and Peru.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Crested Duck - Lophonetta specularioides
The crested duck is found on freshwater lakes and ponds.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Crested Shelduck - Tadorna cristata
The crested shelduck is found in South Korea and Russia. There have been no recorded sightings of it since 1964.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Eaton's Pintail - Anas eatoni
Eaton's pintail is found in the Kerguelen and Crozet island groups in the southern Indian Ocean.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca
The Egyptian goose is found from the Nile Valley in Egypt south through sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca
The Egyptian goosewas found in Israel until the 1930s and in southeastern Europe until the early 18th century.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Emperor Goose - Chen canagica
The emperor goose is found in coastal areas along the Beering Sea in Russia and Alaska.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Emperor Goose - Chen canagica
The emperor goose eats grasses and other plants.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Eurasian Wigeon - Mareca penelope
The Eurasian wigeon is a dabbling duck that is found in open wetlands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Eurasian Wigeon - Mareca penelope
The Eurasian wigeons that are seen each year in North America likely come from eastern Siberia and Iceland
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Falcated Duck - Anas falcata
The falcated duck is found in Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Falkland Steamerduck - Tachyeres brachypterus
The Falkland Steamerduck is found in the Falkland Islands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca
The ferruginous duck is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca
The ferruginous duck is a small reddish-brown diving duck.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Finsch's Duck - Chenonetta finschi
Finsch's Duck was found in New Zealand.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Flightless Steamerduck - Tachyeres pteneres
The flightless steamerduck is found on the rocky coasts and islands of southern Argentina and Chile.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Flying Steamerduck - Tachyeres patachonicus
The flying Steamerduck is found in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Freckled Duck - Stictonetta naevosa
The freckled duck is found in Australia.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Fulvous Whistling- duck- Dendrocygna bicolor
The fulvous Whistling-duck is found from central and eastern Texas and the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, south to Mexico. It is also found in southern Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Its name comes from the hoarse whistling sound it makes and from its coloring. Fulvous means tawny.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Fulvous Whistling- duck- Dendrocygna bicolor
The male fulvous Whistling-duck helps take care of the offspring and a mated pairs stay together for many years.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gadwall - Mareca strepera
In North America, the gadwall is found throughout Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the United States.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gadwall - Mareca strepera
The gadwall is found on marshes, lakes and ponds.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gadwall - Mareca strepera
The gadwall is a medium- sized dabbling duck.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Garganey - Anas querquedula
The garganey is found across much of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Graylag Goose - Anser anser
The graylag goose is found across much of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gray Teal - Anas gracilis
The gray teal is found in Australia, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gray Teal - Anas gracilis
The gray teal is found in shallow freshwater lakes.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Greater Scaup - Aythya marila
The greater scaup breeds from Alaska east to Labrador, Canada. It winters along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern Canada and the United States. It is also found in the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, and in Europe and Asia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Greater Scaup - Aythya marila
The greater scaup dives for mollusks and for the seeds, leaves, stems, roots, and tubers of aquatic plants. It returns to the surface of the water to eat its food.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Greater White- fronted Goose - Anser albifrons
The greater white- fronted goose breeds on the tundra in Alaska, Canada, Asia, and Europe. In North America it winters alsong the Pacific Coast and along the Gulf Coast from Mexico to Louisiana.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Green Pygmy-goose - Nettapus pulchellus
The green pygmy-goose is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca
The green- winged teal is also known as the teal.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Green-winged Teal - Anas crecca
The green- winged teal prefers shallow ponds with lots of emergent vegetation.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Green- winged Teal - Anas crecca
The green- winged teal is the smallest dabbling duck in the Americas.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hardhead - Aythya australis
The hardhead is found in Australia.
The green- winged teal is the smallest dabbling duck in the Americas.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus
The harlequin duck is a small diving sea duck
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus
The harlequin duck breeds on fast- flowing streams and winters along rocky coastlines in the crashing surf.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus
Once a female harlequin duck begins to incubate the eggs, the male leaves and migrates back to the ocean.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hartlaub's Duck - Pteronetta hartlaubii
Hartlaub's duck is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Sudan.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Hawaiian Duck - Anas wyvilliana
The Hawaiian duck was once found on all the major Hawaiian islands. It is now found on Kaua'i and Ni'ihau. It has been reintroduced on O'ahu, Hawaii, and Maui.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hawaiian Duck - Anas wyvilliana
The Hawaiian duck is a very shy duck.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hawaiian Goose - Branta sandvicensis
The Hawaiian goose is found in Hawaii.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hawaiian Goose - Branta sandvicensis
The Hawaiian goose is also known as the nene goose. They have less webbing on their feet than other goose species. This helps them walk on lava flows.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hooded Merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus
The hooded merganser breeds from southern Alaska south to Oregon and Montana and from Manitoba and Nova Scotia, Canada south throughout much of the eastern United States. It winters near coasts from British Columbia south to California and from New England south to Florida and Texas.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hooded Merganser - Lophodytes cucullatus
The hooded merganser usually gathers in small groups of no more than 10 or 12 individuals. When they are startled, they fly away. They are one of the fastest flying ducks.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hottentot Teal - Anas hottentota
The Hottentot teal is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: Oregon Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Indian Spot-billed Duck - Anas poecilorhyncha
The Indian spot-billed duck is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos,, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Kelp Goose - Chloephaga hybrida
The kelp goose is found in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Kelp Goose - Chloephaga hybrida
The male kelp goose is all white. The female has a brown back, a white rump, and a black and brown barred chest and bellly.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

King Eider - Somateria spectabilis
The king eider is circumpolar; it breeds all along the Arctic Circle. In North America, it breeds along the Arctic coast of Canada and Alaska. On the east coast, it winters from Labrador south along the Atlantic Coast. On the west coast, it winters along the coast of Alaska. The king eider is also found in Russia and Scandinavia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

King Eider - Somateria spectabilis
The king eider is found in the tundra during breeding season. In the winter, it is found in shallow coastal areas.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Labrador Duck- Camptorhynchus labradorius
The Labrador duck was once found along the northeast coast of North America. It is now extinct. The last specimin was collected in 1875.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Labrador Duck- Camptorhynchus labradorius
The Labrador duck was a sea duck.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lake Duck - Oxyura vittata
The lake duck is found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Laysan Duck - Anas laysanensis
The laysan duck is found in Hawaii on Laysan Island and Midway Atoll.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Laysan Duck - Anas laysanensis
The laysan duck is a dabbling duck.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Laysan Duck - Anas laysanensis
The laysan duck is also known as the Laysan teal.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
The lesser scaup breeds from Alaska and western Ontario south to Minnesota, northern Colorado, and northern California. It winters throughout the United States, both inland and along the coasts and into Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis
The lesser scaup will sometimes play dead when it is captured by a predator like the red fox.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lesser White- fronted Goose - Anser erythropus
The lesser white-fronted goose breeds on the tundra in Scandinavia and Russia and winters in parts of southern Europe and Asia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lesser White- fronted Goose - Anser erythropus
The lesser white-fronted goose population has been declining due to hunting, land cultivation, and habitat fragmentation in its breeding range.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Lesser Whistling-duck - Dendrocygna javanica
The lesser whistling-duck is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis
The long-tailed duck breeds in Alaska and northern Canada. It winters along the Pacific Coast from Alaska south to California and along the Atlantic Coast from Canada south to North Carolina. It may also winter along the Gulf Coast and the Great Lakes.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis
The long-tailed duck uses its wings to propel itself under the water and can dive to depths of up to 200 feet!
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Maccoa Duck - Oxyura maccoa
The Maccoa duck is found in Botswana, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Madagascar Pochard - Aythya innotata
The Madagascar pochard was thought to be extinct until just a few years ago. In 2006, nine adults and four ducklings were found at Lake Matsaborimena in Madagascar. Today, a captive breeding program is working to save the species.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Madagascar Pochard - Aythya innotata
The Madagascar pochard is native to the Lake Alaotra basin in the northern central plateau.It was considered common bird in the 1930s, but its population declined dramatically in the 1940s and 1950s.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Madagascar Teal - Anas bernieri
The Madagascar teal is a small dabbling duck only found in Madagascar.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Madagascar Teal - Anas bernieri
The Madagascar teal is also known as Bernier’s teal.
Source: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Madagascar Teal - Anas bernieri
The Madagascar teal population is estimated at 1,500- 2,500 individuals.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Mandarin Duck - Aix galericulata
The mandarin duck is native to China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
The mallard occurs naturally in the Northern Hemisphere, but it has been introduced around the world.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
The male mallard has an iridescent green head and neck.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
Mallards are abundant, but one threat to their population is hybridization with other duck species.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos
Mallards are the most abundant and widespread of all waterfowl.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Marbled Teal - Marmaronetta angustirostris
The marbled teal is found in Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. It is also known as the marbled duck.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Masked Duck - Nomonyx dominicus
The masked duck is found in Texas, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Meller's Duck - Anas melleri
Meller's duck is found in Madagascar.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mottled Duck - Anas fulvigula
The mottled duck is found in Florida and along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas. They are also found in Mexico.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mottled Duck - Anas fulvigula
The mottled duck is a large dabbling duck found in Southern marshes.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Musk Duck - Biziura lobata
The musk duck is found in Australia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Musk Duck - Biziura lobata
The male musk duck is the largest duck found in Australia.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Muscovy Duck - Cairina moschata
The muscovy duck is found in southern Texas, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Muscovy Duck - Cairina moschata
The muscovy ducks roost in trees at night.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mute Swan - Cygnus olor
The mute swan is found throughout Europe and central Asia and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and North America.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mute Swan - Cygnus olor
The mute swan is found in shallow coastal ponds, estuaries, ponds, bogs, and streams flowing into lakes.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Mute Swan - Cygnus olor
Mute swans are usually silent, but adults sometimes snort and make hissing noises or puppy- like barking notes.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

New Zealand Scaup - Aythya novaeseelandiae
The New Zealand scaup is found in New Zealand.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
The northern pintail has long, spiky central tail feathers.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
The northern pintail is among the earliest nesting ducks in North America, in many northern areas it begins nesting shortly after ice- out.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
During courtship, the male swims close to the female with his head down and tail up to impress the female.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Shoveler- Spatula clypeata
The northern shoveler gets its name from its shovel- like bill.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Shoveler- Spatula clypeata
The northern shoveler is found in wetland habitats across North America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Shoveler- Spatula clypeata
When the northern shoveler draws water into its bill and uses its tongue to push it out, food particles get stuck in the comb- like lamellae that line the side of its bill.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Orinoco Goose - Neochen jubata
The Orinoco goose is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Orinoco Goose - Neochen jubata
The Orinoco goose nests in tree cavities.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Orinoco Goose - Neochen jubata
The Orinoco goose is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Pacific Black Duck - Anas superciliosa
The Pacific black duck is found in American Samoa , Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pacific Black Duck - Anas superciliosa
The Pacific black duck is also known as the gray duck.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Paradise Shelduck - Tadorna variegata
The paradise shelduck is found in New Zealand.
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Philippine Duck - Anas luzonica
The Philippine duck is found throughout the islands of the Philippines.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Philippine Duck - Anas luzonica
There are around 4,500 of these large, dabbling ducks in the wild.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Pink-eared Duck - Malacorhynchus membranaceus
The pink-eared duck is found in Australia.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Pink-eared Duck - Malacorhynchus membranaceus
The pink-eared duck has a large bill, zebra-striped sides, and hot pink feathers on the side of its head..
Source: New Zealand Birds Online Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus
The pink-footed goose is found in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Source: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus
In North America, the pink-footed goose nests in Greenland. It is an occasional vagrant in eastern Canada.
Source: Audubon Guide to North American Birds Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pink-headed Duck - Rhodonessa caryophyllacea
The pink-headed duck is found in the wetlands of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pink-headed Duck - Rhodonessa caryophyllacea
The pink-headed duck has not been seen in the wild since 1949.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pink-headed Duck - Rhodonessa caryophyllacea
Male pink-headed ducks have deep pink heads and necks.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Plumed Whistling-duck - Dendrocygna eytoni
The plumed whistling-duck is found in Australia.
Source: Birds in Backyards Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Puna Teal - Anas puna
The Puna teal is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Radjah Shelduck - Tadorna radjah
The Radjah shelduck is found in Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
Source: Perth Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Red- billed Teal - Anas erythrorhyncha
The red-billed teal is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: N/A

Red- breasted Goose - Branta ruficollis
The red- breasted goose's fore- neck, breast, and the sides of its head are chestnut red bordered with white.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Red-breasted Goose - Branta ruficollis
The red-breasted goose is native to Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Red- breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator
The red- breasted merganser breeds in Alaska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine, and much of Canada. It winters along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts of North America. It is also found in Europe and Asia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Red- breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator
The red- breasted merganser is found in large lakes, rivers, and the ocean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Red-breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator
The red-breasted merganser uses its long, thin bill that is lined with serrated edges to capture fish.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina
The red-crested pochard is found in Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Redhead - Aythya americana
The redhead breeds in central Alaska, the Great Plains, the Great Lakes, and in the some areas of the western U.S. and Canada. It winters in the southern U.S. and along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts south into Mexico and the Caribbean.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Redhead - Aythya americana
The redhead is found in shallow freshwater lakes, ponds, marshlands, coastal waters, and bays.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Red Shoveler - Anas platalea
The red shoveler is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ringed Teal - Callonetta leucophrys
The ringed teal is small duck found in the forests of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris
The ring- necked duck breeds across Canada south through the northern U.S. and into northern California and Colorado. It winters along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts and and the southern U.S. south into Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris
Unlike most other diving ducks, the ring- necked duck can take off from the water without running across its surface. 
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Rosy-billed Pochard - Netta peposaca
The rosy-billed pochard is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ross's Goose - Chen rossii
Ross's goose breeds in Canada and Alaska. It winters in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
The ruddy duck breeds west of the Mississippi. It winters along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts. It is also found in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. The ruddy duck is found in New Hampshire, but it does not breed there.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
The ruddy duck often dives underwater or swims away from danger instead of flying away. 
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ruddy-headed Goose - Chloephaga rubidiceps
The ruddy-headed goose is found in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ruddy Shelduck - Tadorna ferruginea
The ruddy shelduck has a white face, a black bill, and a rusty- red body.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Salvadori's Teal - Salvadorina waigiuensis
Salvadori's teal is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Salvadori's Teal - Salvadorina waigiuensis
Salvadori's teal is threatened by hunting and habitat degradation.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Scaly-sided Merganser - Mergus squamatus
The scaly-sided merganser is found in China, Japan, North and South Korea, Myanmar, Russia, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Scaly-sided Merganser - Mergus squamatus
The scaly-sided merganser threatened by habitat loss and disturbance and hunting.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Silver Teal - Anas versicolor
The silver teal is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Smew - Mergellus albellus
The smew breeds on the taiga in Europe and Asia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Smew - Mergellus albellus
The smew nests in tree hollows.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens
The snow goose breeds in the Arctic regions of North America, including Greenland. In the winter it is found on the Pacific Coast from British Columbia , Canada to California, on the mid-Atlantic Coast, and on the Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Texas. It also winters in small numbers in the interior of the U.S. The snow goose also breeds in Siberia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens
Snow geese migrate in large flocks and fly during both night and day. 
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

South African Shelduck - Tadorna cana
The South african shelduck is found in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School .

Southern Pochard - Netta erythrophthalma
The southern pochard is found in Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Chile, Colombia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Peru, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Speckled Teal - Anas flavirostris
The speckled teal is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Uruguay.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Speckled Teal - Anas flavirostris
The speckled teal is also known as the yellow-billed teal.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spectacled Eider - Somateria fischeri
The spectacled eider breeds along the northern coasts of Russia and Alaska.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spectacled Eider - Somateria fischeri
Until 1995, no one knew where spectacled eiders spent the winter months.
Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spectacled Eider - Somateria fischeri
Spectacled eiders winter in the Bering Sea.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spotted Whistling-duck - Dendrocygna guttata
The spotted whistling-duck is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spur-winged Goose - Plectropterus gambensis
The spur-winged goose is found in Africa.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Steller's Eider - Polysticta stelleri
Steller's eider is the smallest species of eider.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Steller's Eider - Polysticta stelleri
Steller's eider breeds along the northern coasts of Russia and Alaska.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sunda Teal - Anas gibberifrons
The Sunda teal is found in Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: N/A

Surf Scoter - Melanitta perspicillata
The surf scoter has a very large range. It breeds from western Alaska through Central Labrador in Canada. In the winter, the surf scoter lives along the Pacific and Atlantic coast in North America. Its winter range extends as far south as Baja California on the west coast and down to South Carolina on the east coast. Although not native to the area, the surf scoter has also been found as far away as Russia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Surf Scoter - Melanitta perspicillata
Although adult surf scoters fly back north for the summer, some young surf scoters don't. Instead, they spend the summer along the coast of Baja California or New Jersey.
Source: Audubon Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Swan Goose - Anser cygnoides
The swan goose is found in China, Japan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, and Russia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Swan Goose - Anser cygnoides
The swan goose population is declining due to drought, habitat loss, and hunting.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Torrent Duck - Merganetta armata
The torrent duck is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Torrent Duck - Merganetta armata
The torrent duck is found in cold fast-flowing mountain streams.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Trumpeter Swan - Cygnus buccinator
The trumpeter swan is found in Alaska, western Canada, the Rocky Mountain region, the Great Plains, and along the Great Lakes.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Trumpeter Swan - Cygnus buccinator
The trumpeter swan is the largest species of waterfowl in the North America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Trumpeter Swan - Cygnus buccinator
Trumpeter swans are monogamous and mate for life.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula
The tufted duck is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the winter, it is occasionally found in Canada and the United States.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula
The tufted duck is a diving duck.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Tundra Swan - Cygnus columbianus
The tundra swan breeds in the Arctic regions of northern Canada and Alaska. There are two populations of tundra swans in North America, one in the east and one in the west. Both populations migrate over 3,000 miles each season. The eastern population winters on the Atlantic Coast from the Chesapeake Bay to North Carolina. The western population winters on the Pacific Coast from southern British Columbia to southern California. Small groups also winter in interior portions of the west and on the Great Lakes. The tundra swan also breeds in Siberia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Upland Goose - Chloephaga picta
The upland goose is found in Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Upland Goose - Chloephaga picta
The upland goose is found in southern grassland and steppe habitats in southern South America
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Yellow-billed Duck - Anas undulata
The yellow-billed duck is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

Yellow-billed Pintail - Anas georgica  
The yellow-billed pintail is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Peru, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Uruguay.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Wandering Whistling-duck - Dendrocygna arcuata
The wandering whistling-duck is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Wandering Whistling-duck - Dendrocygna arcuata
The wandering whistling-duck is also known as the whistling tree-duck.
Source: Backyard Birds Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

West Indian Whistling-duck - Dendrocygna arborea
The West Indian Whistling-duck is found in Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Turks and Caicos, and the Virgin Islands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-backed Duck - Thalassornis leuconotus
The white-backed duck is found in Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

White-cheeked Pintail - Anas bahamensis
The white-cheeked pintail is found in the Caribbean and South America.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-faced Whistling- duck- Dendrocygna viduata
The white-faced Whistling-duck is found in tropical parts of Central and South America, and Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-faced Whistling- duck- Dendrocygna viduata
The white-faced Whistling-duck is a highly social duck and flocks often contain hundreds of individuals.
Source: Oakland Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-faced Whistling- duck- Dendrocygna viduata
White-faced whistling ducks live in a variety of wetland areas.
Source: Woodland Park Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-headed Duck - Oxyura leucocephala
he white-headed duck is found in Eastern Europe, North Africa, and western and central Asia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-headed Steamerduck - Tachyeres leucocephalus
The white-headed steamer duck is found in Argentina.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-headed Steamerduck - Tachyeres leucocephalus
The white-headed steamer duck is found on the coast in rocky areas and sheltered bays.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

White-winged Duck - Cairina scutulata
The white-winged duck is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

White-winged Duck - Cairina scutulata
The white-winged duck population is estimated to be around 1,000. Its numbers are declining due to loss of habitat.
Source: BirdLife International Intended Audience: General Reading Level: High School

White-winged Scoter - Melanitta deglandi  
The white-winged scoter has a wide range. Its summer breeding grounds extend from Alaska into Central Canada. During migration, it can be found around the Great Lakes. It spends its winters along the west and east coast of North America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus
The whooper swan gets its name from the loud ‘whooping’ calls that it makes.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus
The whooper swan is large, white swan with a black and yellow bill.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa
The wood duck breeds from southern Canada throughout the eastern half of the United States and south to Cuba. In the west, the wood duck breeds from British Columbia southward along Pacific Coast to southern California. It winters in the southern part of its breeding range and in Mexico.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Wood Duck - Aix sponsa
Wood ducks perch and nest in trees.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School