The Sunshine State has many different types of ducks. There are several reasons for this, but the most likely reason is that the state has many kinds of wetlands. These include freshwater marshes, saltwater marshes, and even coastal areas.
Today, we will talk about 15 different ducks that you might find in Florida. You’ll be amazed at the variety!
Types of Ducks in Florida
No matter where you are in Florida, you’ll likely see ducks if you are near some type of wetland. And, if you’re lucky, you might even spot a few rarer types as well.
Ducks have become one of the most exciting tourist attractions in Florida. With the variety of species and distinctive features, you can easily spend an afternoon spotting different types of ducks.
Well without further ado, here are 15 different kinds of ducks that you might encounter in Florida:
- American Black Duck
- Mallard
- Mottled Duck
- Blue-Winged Teal
- Wood Duck
- Green-Winged Teal
- Ring-Necked Duck
- Hooded Merganser
- Redhead Duck
- Canvasback Duck
- Ruddy Duck
- White-Winged Scoter
- Surf Scoter
- Long-Tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
American Black Duck – Anas Rubripes
American Black Ducks are one of the heaviest ducks in the Anas family and tend to be about the same size as Mallards. They are known to interbreed exclusively with the mallard.
All birds of this species have black plumage. The males have dark green heads, while the females’ heads are dark brown. Females have the dark blue wing speculum bordered by white feathers. Males tend to have white underwing feathers.
Size: Wingspan of up to 37 inches; weighs between two and three pounds.
Habitat: Rivers, ponds, and lakes.
Diet: These ducks are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as seeds, leaves, roots, berries, snails, and small crustaceans.
Lifespan: Ten years in the wild; 20 years in captivity.
Mallard – Anas Platyrhynchos
Mallards are the most populous duck globally and live on every continent except Antarctica. They are also known to interbreed with several other duck species.
Mallards are easily recognizable with their glossy green heads and white necks. The males have a dark plumage with a chestnut breast, while the females are brownish-gray with a white chest. Both genders have a black tail and a blue wing speculum.
Size: Wingspan of up to 42 inches; weighs between two and four pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, marshes, and even urban areas. They inhabit fresh and saltwater habitats.
Diet: Mallards are omnivorous and eat beetles, flies, dragonflies, and caddisflies. They also eat worms and small crustaceans.
Lifespan: Ten years in the wild; 20 years in captivity.
Mottled Duck – Anas fulvigula
Mottled Ducks are the only ducks in the Anas genus found exclusively in North America. They are known to interbreed with Mallards and Blue-Winged Teals.
Mottled Ducks get their name from their distinctive mottled plumage. The males have gray heads and necks. The rest of their bodies are covered in mottled plumage. The females are similar but have a more silver head and a brighter beak.
Size: Wingspan of up to 37 inches; weighs between two and three pounds.
Habitat: Marshes, ponds, and lakes.
Diet: These ducks are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as seeds, insects, acorns, and small mammals.
Lifespan: Five years in the wild; 20 years in captivity.
Blue-Winged Teal – Anas Crecca
Blue-Winged Teals are one of the smallest ducks in the Anas genus and are found throughout North and South America. They are known to interbreed with Mallards and Mottled Ducks.
The Blue-Winged Teal gets its name from the distinctive blue plumage on its wings. The males have a gray head and chest with a white neck and belly. The females are similar but have a brownish tinge to their plumage. Both genders have a blue wing speculum.
Size: Wingspan of up to 29 inches; weighs between one and two pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, marshes, and even urban areas that have calm waters with dense vegetation.
Diet: Blue-Winged Teals are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as seeds, insects, acorns, and small mammals.
Lifespan: 17 years.
Wood Duck – Aix sponsa
Wood Ducks are the only ducks in the Aix genus and are found throughout North America. They are known to interbreed with Mallards.
Wood Ducks are easily recognizable because of their distinctive heads. The males have green heads and brown chests with white and black markings on their faces. The females are similar but have a drabber coloration. Females have brown heads and less green foliage.
Size: Wingspan of up to 30 inches; weighs between two and three pounds.
Habitat: Marshes, ponds, overgrown beaver ponds, and lakes.
Diet: These ducks are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as seeds, vegetables, berries, insects, acorns, and small mammals.
Lifespan: Typically four years, though some have lived to 15.
Green-Winged Teal – Anas carolinensis
Green-Winged Teals are another one of the smallest ducks in the Anas genus and are found throughout North and South America. They also interbreed with Mallards and Mottled Ducks.
The Green-Winged Teal gets its name from the distinctive green plumage on its wings. The males have a green and brown head and a silver chest with a white neck and belly.
The females are similar but have a brownish tinge to their plumage. The significant difference is that females tend to have brown heads. Both genders have a green wing speculum.
Size: Wingspan of up to 23 inches; weighs between one and two pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, marshes, and nests in the nearby grass.
Diet: Green-Winged Teals primarily eat seeds, stems, nutgrasses, wheat, barley, pondweeds, and spike rushes.
Lifespan: 20 years.
Ring-Necked Duck – Aythya collaris
Ring-Necked Ducks are found throughout North and South America. They are known to interbreed with Mallards and Mottled Ducks.
The Ring-Necked Duck gets its name from the distinctive ring of white plumage around its neck. The males have a black head and chest with a white belly. The females are similar but have a drabber coloration. Both genders have a blue wing speculum.
Size: Wingspan of up to 28 inches; weighs between two and three pounds.
Habitat: Bogs, fens, and lakes.
Diet: Ring-Necked Ducks are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as seeds, insects, acorns, and small mammals.
Lifespan: Ten years in the wild; 20 years in captivity.
Hooded Merganser – Lophodytes cucullatus
Hooded Mergansers are the only ducks in the Lophodytes genus and are found throughout North America. They are known to interbreed with other species of mergansers.
The Hooded Merganser gets its name from the distinctive hood of feathers that graces its head. The males have a black head and chest with a white neck and belly. The females have brown heads, necks, and chests. Both genders have a blue wing speculum.
Size: Wingspan of up to 26 inches; weighs between two and three pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, wooded lakes, and rivers.
Diet: Hooded Mergansers are omnivorous and hunt by sight. They eat fish, frogs, aquatic insects, crabs, and crayfish.
Lifespan: 13 years.
Redhead – Aythya americana
Redhead Ducks are found throughout North and South America. They are known to interbreed with other species of ducks, such as Mallards and Pintails.
The Redhead Duck gets its name from the distinctive red plumage on its head. The males have a red head and chest with a black neck and belly—the female’s brown heads and necks.
Size: Wingspan of up to 33 inches; weighs between two and three pounds.
Habitat: Lakes, freshwater river deltas, lakes, and reservoirs.
Diet: Redhead Ducks are omnivorous and eat more animal matter like mollusks and insect larvae with minimal plant matter such as seeds, insect larvae, acorns, and small mammals.
Lifespan: Two years in the wild; ten years in captivity.
Canvasback – Aythya valisineria
Canvasback Ducks are the largest ducks in the Aythya genus and are found throughout North America. They usually practice yearly monogamy and tend to switch mates each year. They’re also known to interbreed with other species of ducks, such as Redheads and Pintails.
The Canvasback Duck gets its name from the characteristic white plumage on its back. The males have a redhead and neck with a white chest and belly. The females are entirely brown with darker brown splotches on their necks and under their feathers.
Size: Wingspan of up to 35 inches; weighs between two and four pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, deepwater marshes, and bays.
Diet: Canvasback Ducks eat seeds, roots, snails, insect larvae, and tubers.
Lifespan: 14 years.
Ruddy Duck – Oxyura jamaicensis
Ruddy Ducks are found throughout North and South America. They are known to interbreed with other species of ducks, such as Canvasbacks and Redheads.
The Ruddy Duck gets its name from the distinctive reddish plumage on its head and neck. The males have a black head and chest with a white neck and belly. They also have blue beaks. The females are similar but have a brownish tinge to their plumage.
Size: Wingspan of up to 19 inches; weighs between one and two pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, and marshes.
Diet: Ruddy Ducks are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as aquatic plants, zooplankton, small fish, and insects.
Lifespan: 13 years.
White-Winged Scoter – Melanitta deglandi
White-Winged Scoters are found throughout North America. They are known to interbreed with other species of ducks, such as Redheads and Pintails.
The White-Winged Scoter gets its name from the characteristic white plumage on its wings. The males have a black head and body with white eye markings and speculum. The females are brown with the same white speculum.
Size: Wingspan of up to 36 inches; weighs between two and four pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, marshes, and even urban areas.
Diet: White-Winged Scoters are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
Lifespan: 12 years in the wild; 20 years in captivity.
Surf Scoter – Melanitta perspicillata
Surf Scoters are found throughout North America. They usually practice yearly monogamy and tend to switch mates each year. They are known to interbreed with Canvasbacks and Redheads.
The Surf Scoter gets its name from the characteristic black plumage on its back, which resembles the ocean’s waves.
The males have a white chest and belly with a black head and neck. The male beak is speckled with white, orange, and red shades. The females are mostly brown, with a few white splotches on their heads.
Size: Wingspan of up to 30 inches; weighs between one and three pounds.
Habitat: Freshwater lakes.
Diet: Surf Scoters are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as small fish, crustaceans, herring spawn, and mollusks.
Lifespan: Ten years.
Long-Tailed Duck – Clangula hyemalis
Long-Tailed Ducks are found throughout Northern coastlines. It gets its name from the distinctive long tail feathers of the males.
The plumage of both sexes is predominantly brown with white patches on the wings and sides. The tail swings upward and curls inward to the body. The females have a brownish tinge to their plumage.
Size: Wingspan of up to 28 inches; weighs between one and two pounds.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, and marshes.
Diet: Long-Tailed Ducks are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as aquatic plants, small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
Lifespan: 15 years.
Bufflehead – Bucephala albeola
Buffleheads are found throughout North America. They are wholly monogamous and will return to the same nest each year.
The Bufflehead gets its name from the large, bulbous head of the males. The plumage of both sexes is predominantly black and white with a greenish tinge. The females have a brownish tinge to their plumage.
Size: Wingspan of up to 21 inches; weighs between one and two pounds.
Habitat: Wooded lakes and ponds.
Diet: Buffleheads are omnivorous and eat a variety of plant and animal matter such as aquatic plants, small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
Lifespan: 18 years.
Wrapping Up
Ducks are a popular type of bird found in many different parts of the world. Each duck has its own unique plumage and behavior. Florida Ducks typically live in pairs or small groups and are known to interbreed with other duck species.
One thing that stands out with each duck species is male and female foliage differences. The males tend to be more brightly colored to attract mates, while the females are usually drabber in coloring. Females need to be well camouflaged to protect their young from predators.
Ducks are unique animals that have many interesting behaviors. So if you’re ever in Florida, keep an eye out for these fascinating creatures! But remember not to feed them.