Bird Guide

Redhead vs Ring-necked Duck

Redhead (Aythya americana)

Redhead

Aythya americana

Large1.1 kgWetland

The redhead is a pochard, a diving duck specially adapted to foraging underwater. Their legs are placed further back on the body, which makes walking on land difficult. The webbing on their feet is larger than dabbling ducks and their bills are broader to facilitate underwater foraging. In addition, pochards have a lobed hind toe. No pochard has a metallic colored speculum, something that is characteristic of other ducks. Voice: There is little information on redhead vocalizations outside of breeding calls. When the neck is fully extended in the neck-stretching display, males emit a cat-like wheee-oww. Males may also produce a soft coughing call, although this call is less frequent. Females emit a soft errrr note when inciting a male.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Large705 gWetland

Ring-necked ducks are small to medium-sized diving ducks with the following length, weight, and wingspan measurements: Length: 15.3–18.1 in (39–46 cm) Weight: 17.3–32.1 oz (490–910 g) Wingspan: 24.4–24.8 in (62–63 cm) The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian tufted duck, its relative. Males are a little bit bigger than the female. It has two white rings surrounding its gray bill, a shiny black angular head, black back, white line on the wings, a white breast and yellow eyes.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Doug Hynes · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Redhead and Ring-necked Duck.