There are more ducks with green heads that you may have seen, not just a male Mallard duck.
Drakes are male ducks with a more vivid color than female ducks in northern species. After the breeding season, the male will moult and acquire the eclipse plumage, which is similar to that of the female.
They’ll molt again in the winter to change into their breeding colors after they’ve nested.
The patterns and shapes of ducks are so colorful and interesting. Ducks’ feet may be bright orange or blue in color.
During the summer, these green-headed ducks move north, such as to Canada, and during the winter, they migrate south. Except for the Mallard, which does not migrate.
So take a look at this guide to figure out what that duck with the green head is.
1. Mallard Male
The males of mallards have green heads, which are large ducks. Their bills are bright yellow, and their bodies are gray with brown breasts and a black tail. They have a speculum on their wings, which is a blue patch with curving tail feathers.
The blue speculum is still present in females and juveniles, who are brown with orange bills.
- Scientific Name: Anas platyrhynchos
- Length: 19.7-25.6 in (50-65 cm)
- Weight: 35.3-45.9 oz (1000-1300 g)
- Wingspan: 32.3-37.4 in (82-95 cm)
Most of the lower 48 states, as well as Canada and Alaska’s western coast, are home to mallards all year. Breeding Canadians and Alaska residents migrate south to the southern United States and northern Mexico.
Mallards, which may be fed on ponds and rivers and are one of the most commonly seen ducks, are one of the most well-known. They’re water-dabbling ducks that don’t dive; they feed on water plants.
Only the female Mallards quack, but males do as well. A rasping sound is emitted by the male.
Mallards are the origin of most domesticated ducks, which have been hunted and farmed for food.
Mallards have been documented to live up to 27 years old.
2. Common Goldeneye Male
Ducks with green heads that are iridescent and virtually black are called Common Goldeneye males. Under their yellow eyes, they have a white mark. The front and sides of their bodies are white, while the backs are black.
Grayish-brown birds with brown heads make up the female Common Goldeneyes. The bills of both sexes are black.
- Scientific Name: Bucephala clangula
- Length: 15.8-20.1 in (40-51 cm)
- Weight: 21.2-45.9 oz (600-1300 g)
- Wingspan: 30.3-32.7 in (77-83 cm)
In the summer, they are a common Goldeneye breed that migrates to the lower 48 for winter.
In the summer, they are common in Canada and Alaska, while in the winter, they migrate to the lower 48.
Crabs, shrimp, crayfish, fish, fish eggs, and insects are all eaten by Common Goldeneye diving ducks.
3. Greater Scaup Male
Males of Greater Scaup have iridescent black green heads with blue bills, gray backs, and white sides. Brown females have a white patch above the beak.
Except for their rounder heads, they resemble Lesser Scaup.
- Scientific Name: Aythya marila
- Length: 15.3-22.1 in (39-56 cm)
- Weight: 25.6-48.0 oz (726-1360 g)
- Wingspan: 28.4-31.1 in (72-79 cm)
Before migrating to the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts for winter, the Greater Scaup breed lived in the north of Canada and Alaska. Out at sea, they build enormous ‘rafts’ of birds.
In the bottom of lakes and the sea, these are diving ducks that eat invertebrates and plants.
Add grass and down feathers to a little hollow in the ground, which is home to Greater Scaup.
4. American Wigeon Male
Green stripes on the sides of their heads and white hats on males characterize American Wigeons, which are small ducks. Grayish-brown covers the rest of them.
Brown females have grayish-brown heads and bodies. The beaks of both sexes are light.
- Scientific Name: Mareca americana
- Length: 16.5-23.2 in (42-59 cm)
- Weight: 19.1-46.9 oz (540-1330 g)
- Wingspan: 33.1 in (84 cm)
Alaska, western Canada, and the Great Lakes area are home to the American Wigeon breed. They spend the winter on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the southern United States.
They breed in fields and grasslands, far from water. Both on the battlefield and on land, American Wigeons feed on vegetation. Insects and invertebrates will be eaten as well.
5. Green-winged Teal Male
The males have a green stripe down the sides of their heads, and Green-winged Teal are tiny dabbling ducks. They have grayish bodies and brown heads for the remainder of their heads.
Brown females with a yellow tail stripe. A green wing patch is present on both males and females.
- Scientific Name: Anas crecca
- Length: 12.2-15.3 in (31-39 cm)
- Weight: 4.9-17.6 oz (140-500 g)
- Wingspan: 20.5-23.2 in (52-59 cm)
From British Columbia Down, most Green-winged Teal go to the southern US States and the Pacific Coast from their breeding grounds in Alaska, Canada, and northern US States. Ducks that live throughout the year in the Rocky Mountains.
Dabbling ducks that eat insects and seeds, Green-winged Teal are green in color. In dense cover such as grass or thickets, their nests are on the ground.
In huge flocks of up to 50 thousand, they may frequently be seen on flooded land and shallow ponds.
6. Northern Shoveler Male
Males of the northern Shoveler are ducks with green heads and huge spoon-shaped black beaks, making them easy to see dabbling ducks. Their brown sides are mottled with white, and their backs are black. The wings of males are likewise blue.
Females have large orange beaks and a blue shoulder patch. They are mottled brown.
- Scientific Name: Spatula clypeata
- Length: 17.3-20.1 in (44-51 cm)
- Weight: 14.1-28.9 oz (400-820 g)
- Wingspan: 27.2-33.1 in (69-84 cm)
The winter is spent in the southern part of the United States, as well as along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, up to Canada. During the summer, they migrate to the western portion of Canada and northern US states for breeding. Around the Great Lakes, they breed as well.
In shallow, stagnant water, they may frequently be found in social groups.
Shovelers filter their food out by stirring up the bottom and swinging their bills from side to side through the water, which includes crustaceans, invertebrates, and some seeds. After that, they snag any food by forcing water out via comblike projections called lamellae along the edge of their bills.
Ground-nesting Southern Shovelers prefer watery areas with short vegetation.
7. Wood Duck Male
With black and white stripes and red eyes, male Wood Ducks have a lovely green head with a magnificent crest in the rear. Birds with magnificent hairdos, they are.
Their chests are reddish-brown, sides are buff, backs and rump are brown, and they have white stripes and streaks of blue on their bodies.
Brown females have grayish-brown heads and white around their black eyes. Their wings have speculum, which are blue patches.
- Scientific Name: Aix sponsa
- Length: 18.5-21.3 in (47-54 cm)
- Weight: 16.0-30.4 oz (454-862 g)
- Wingspan: 26.0-28.7 in (66-73 cm)
Eastern US states, as well as the Pacific Coast and portions of the northwest, are home to Wood Ducks. During the winter, northern Wood Ducks go to southern US states and Mexico, where they breed.
Wood Ducks feed on seeds, fruit, and insects in both the water and on land, in fields and forests. They may be found in wooded bogs.
Wood Ducks prefer trees near water, and tree cavities provide nesting sites.