2024 Great Backyard Bird Count Day 1

Hi everyone! It’s time for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)! This annual event takes place this weekend from February 16-19. It’s easy to participate, so check out https://www.birdcount.org/ to join the fun!

Today Dave, Baby Birder, and I made our way out to Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge for the first day of the count. It was a fairly chilly and windy morning. As expected there was waterfowl galore and lots of gulls. We observed 27 species. Highlights included a Northern Harrier, two Bald Eagles, and a large amount of Gadwalls.

Gull Pond

Edwin B. Forsythe NWR (27 species, 2098 individuals)

• 450 Snow Geese
• 70 Brant
• 255 Canada Geese
• 9 Tundra Swans
• 200 Northern Shovelers
• 160 Gadwall
• 24 Mallards
• 150 American Black Ducks
• 60 Northern Pintails
• 7 Green-winged Teals
• 35 Bufflehead
• 14 Hooded Mergansers
• 55 Ruddy Duck
• 470 Dunlin
• 8 Ring-billed Gulls
• 87 Herring Gulls
• 2 Double-crested Cormorants
• 2 Great Egrets
• 7 Great Blue Herons
• 9 Turkey Vultures
• 1 Northern Harrier
• 2 Bald Eagles
• 11 American Crows
• 1 Carolina Wren
• 3 Dark-eyed Juncos
• 1 Common Grackle
• 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers

Dunlin flock (Image by David Horowitz)

Hooded Merganser male (Image by David Horowitz)

We had an unexpected surprise on the wildlife drive today. Baby Birder, being well into toddlerhood now, isn’t super into birding. He likes birds just fine and is fairly familiar with ducks, geese, and eagles (my favorite was when he saw a Wild Turkey and called it a “duck-eagle” 😂). However, his true passion (obsession lol) is vehicles, so while he likes to see the birds his favorite part of visiting Forsythe is the other vehicles on the wildlife drive. And special for bird count weekend we had…a backhoe!

A GBBC first…a backhoe!

He was quite thrilled to see a backhoe laying gravel out on the road today, so we all had a lovely morning for GBBC Day 1. It’s supposed to snow 2-5 inches tonight into tomorrow so we’ll see what happens for Day 2.

Cackling or Canada?

Happy Waterfowl Wednesday! Last week we talked about the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and its 7 subspecies. For awhile it was commonly accepted that there were 11 Canada subspecies, but in 2004 the American Ornithologists Union took the four smallest and declared them a separate species: the Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii). Why did this happen? How can you tell if the white-cheeked goose you’re seeing is a Canada or a Cackling?

Cackling Goose (ALAN SCHMIERER, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Cackling vs. Canada Identification

	Cackling	Canada
Height	24-25 inches (63-65 cm)	29-43 inches (76-110 cm)
Weight	3-5 lbs	6-20 lbs
Color Pattern	Brown overall, varying from pale to dark depending on subspecies. White under black tail. Short black neck.	Brown back, black head/neck, tan breast
Facial features	Black head with white/throat patch (“chinstrap”). Some have white ring at base of neck. Rounded crown but steep forehead.	Black head with white/throat patch (“chinstrap”). Rounded head with sloping forehead.
Bill color/shape	Black. Short. Meets forehead at a steep angle.	Black. Wide and flat.
Other features	Small black feet and short black legs. Long wings.	Large black feet and black legs.

Cackling vs. Canada Geese identification features

Size is a good first indicator to identifying a Cackling Goose. They tend to be very small. They are about the same size as a Mallard, Brant, or Barnacle Goose and are smaller than Snow Geese. However, it’s important to be aware that they may be similar in size to smaller Canada Goose subspecies, so it’s important to not rely only on size and use other features for identification too. There is also much variation between the four Cackling subspecies. American ornithologist David Allen Sibley suggests getting to know your local flocks and being aware of geographic differences. They are very often found in mixed flocks with Canada Geese.

Cackling vs. Canada Goose (Caleb Putnam, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Subspecies and Ranges

• Branta hutchinsii minima (“Ridgeway”): Breeds in western Alaska and winters in California and Oregon. Smallest of the 4 subspecies (2.5-4 lbs) and has the shortest bill.
• Branta hutchinsii leucopareia (“Aleutian”): Breeds in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Winters in California. White “collar” where black neck meets brown body.
• Branta hutchinsii taverneri (“Taverner’s” or “Alaska”): Breeds in Alaska and Northwest Canada, rare east of the Rocky Mountains. Winters in Washington, Oregon, and southwestern United States. Closest in size/appearance to Canada Goose parvipes subspecies, so use caution with identification.
• Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii (“Richardson’s” or “Hutchin’s”): Breeds Central and East Arctic Canada. Migrates to Great Plains. Paler in color and lacks white neck ring.

Some subspecies will rarely winter in the northeastern United States down the Atlantic Coast into the Gulf Coast.

Why the split?

There’s a bit of a debate with scientists about whether the split of Cackling Geese from Canada Geese is appropriate. The two species do tend to hybridize in some locations, which complicates the situation. The 2004 split is based on evidence of differences in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the two species. Studies by Shields and Wilson (1987a and 1987b) found a 2% difference in the mtDNA and suggests that the two species diverged about one million years ago. Even within Cackling subspecies there are have been differences in evolutionary selection pressures due to geographical isolation. The breeding habitats are of minima and leucopareia are distinctly different from taverneri and hutchinsii.

So the next time you are looking at a flock of Canada Geese you may not be looking at only Canada Geese. A Cackling Goose may be among the ranks. It’s always worth a closer look. Happy goose watching!

References

• Caldwell, I. (2021). The Cackling Goose. Coastal Interpretive Center. https://interpretivecenter.org/the-cackling-goose/
• Dobak. (2006, February 21). Branta hutchinsii Branta canadensis Dobak [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Branta_hutchinsii_Branta_canadensis_Dobak.jpg
• Griffiths, D. (2017). Learn to Tell a Cackling Goose From a Canada Goose. Audubon. https://www.audubon.org/news/learn-tell-cackling-goose-canada-goose
• Mlodinow, S., Springer, P., Deuel, P., Semo, L. S., Leukering, T., Schonewald, T.D., Tweit, W., & Barry, J. H. (2008). Distribution and Identification of Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) Subspecies. North American Birds, 62(3), 344-360). http://www.utahbirds.org/RecCom/IDhelp/Cackling_Goose-NAB.pdf
• Sibley, D. (2007). Distinguishing Cackling and Canada Geese. Sibley Guides. https://www.sibleyguides.com/2007/07/identification-of-cackling-and-canada-goose/
• Schmierer, A. (2007, March 16). CACKLING GOOSE(3-16-07)leucopareia, sloco, ca(1) (8708303070) [Photograph]. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:016_-CACKLING_GOOSE(3-16-07)leucopareia,_sloco,_ca(1)_(8708303070).jpg
• Szantyr, M. (2004). Questions and Ansers: Identifying Cackling Goose, Branta hutchinsii, the Newest Addition to the Connecticut Checklist. The Connecticut Warbler, 24(4), 111-116.
• The Cornell Lab. (2023). Cackling Goose. All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cackling_Goose/overview
• The Cornell Lab. (2023). Canada Goose. All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/overview

Surf Scoter: Waterfowl Wednesday

We are almost a month into winter, so I thought it would a great time for a Waterfowl Wednesday post. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that I love waterfowl, and winter is the best time to look for different species. For new readers, waterfowl is any bird that is a duck, goose, or swan. So without further ado, today’s featured species is Surf Scoter.

Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

Description:

• Black-and white, medium-sized sea duck
• Has no white on wings
• Wedge shaped heads
• Males: distinct swollen bill of orange, white, red, yellow, and a dark black spot. Yellowish-white or blue-gray eyes. Red-orange feet with dusky webs. White patches on nape of neck and forehead.
• Females: Dark crown on head and neck. White patches below and behind eyes. Plain, sloping greenish-black bill. Pale gray, yellow, or brown eyes. Brown to yellow-colored feet with black webs.
• Juvenile: Similar to female, but has brown eyes, white belly and whiter face patches

Male Surf Scoter (Image by BirdNation)

Female Surf Scoter (Image by BirdNation)

Range

• Breeding: exclusively breeds in North America, specifically Alaska and Northern Canada
• Winter: Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, sometimes Gulf Coast
• Migration: Migrates in flocks over coastal waters, sometimes using lakes for stop-over sites. Migrates through parts of Canada, the Great Lakes, and some New England and Mid-Atlantic States.

Habitat

In winter, oceans and salt bays. In summer, tundra, lakes, and semi-open terrains.

Diet

Mainly mollusks, aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, aquatic insects, some plant material. Surf Scoters are diving ducks. 

Breeding/Nesting

• Courtship: Many males will try to impress a female using display flights, swimming back and forth with neck up, or exaggerated bows. Pair bonds form on wintering grounds.
• Nesting: Shallow depression on the ground away from water, usually well hidden.
• Young: Female incubates 5-9 eggs and tends to the chicks after hatching. Chicks are precocial, meaning they leave the nest shortly after hatching and can feed themselves.

Female and male Surf Scoters at Barnegat Light, NJ (Image by BirdNation)

Vocalizations

Usually silent, but sometimes guttural croaking. Wings in flight make a whistling sound.

Conservation

Population trends are not well known, but are mostly stable.

Fun Facts

• Egg hatching is synchronous among eggs, meaning they will all hatched around the same time.
• Similar species to the Surf Scoter are Black Scoters and White-winged Scoters. However, Surf Scoters can be distinguish from other scoter species by their unique bills, white patches on the head, and completely black wings.
• Flocks can vary in size from 2 to 500 individuals, but can be larger during migration. Surf Scoters frequently flock with Black Scoters, but most other species of ducks can be found among Surf Scoters. They tend to fly in disorganized lines that are constantly fluctuating.

Duck-mas Eve

Last year we had a Snowy Christmas Eve….Snowy Owl that is.

Snowy Owl 12/24/17 (Image by David Horowitz)

We went back to Long Beach Island today…no Snowies. Instead we celebrated Duck-mas Eve! All the waterfowl attended…

Surf Scoters,

Harlequin Ducks,

Long-tailed Ducks,

Black Scoters,

Brants,

And Common Eiders of all plumage types. There were breeding males, females, and juveniles.

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There was even a Common Eider parade.

A Snowy Owl Christmas Eve is great, but Duck-mas Eve is just as awesome! Merry Duck-mas!

Chincoteague Waterfowl Weekend

We are on Thanksgiving break, so Dave and I took a one-day getaway to Chincoteague, VA. Thanksgiving weekend is Waterfowl Weekend at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Being a waterfowl enthusiast, I thought it was a perfect time to head down to Virginia’s Eastern Shore to seek out winter visitors. (We went to Chincoteague for our honeymoon in March, check out that trip here). Tom’s Cove Beach Highlights

• Snow Geese! Over a thousand of them! The longer we watched the flock, the more Snow Geese arrived. They circled above us as they joined the huge flock resting on the beach. Mixed within the sea of white were “blue morphs”, a color variation of the Snow Goose. Individuals will mate for life, choosing the same color morph as their family members. Two white morphs will have white offspring, a pure dark with a white morph will likely have dark morphs (sometimes with white bellies), and two blue morphs will likely have blue offspring, although white offspring are possible. Dave spotted two individual with bands, one in which he got a clear picture of.

Snow Goose Parade (Image by BirdNation)

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  Snow Goose Flock (Image by David Horowitz)

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  Banded Snow Goose (Image by David Horowitz)

Snow Geese soaring overhead (Image by David Horowitz)

• Shorebirds: Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlins, Sanderlings, Willets, and Yellowlegs

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  Black-bellied Plover nonbreeding (Image by BirdNation)

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  Dunlins on the go (Image by BirdNation)

• Lots of Gulls (Ring-billed, Herring, Great Black-backed), Common and Red-bellied Loons, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Forster’s Terns.

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  No Parking Gull (Image by BirdNation)

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  Great Blue Heron (Image by BirdNation)

Extended Wildlife Loop Highlights

Chincoteague NWR has a 3.2 mile wildlife loop for walking, bicycling, and driving. For Waterfowl Weekend, the refuge opens up a 7.5 mile service (15 miles round trip) road to extend the drive. I’ll admit it was a little strange at first because it just seemed like a road with dead trees. However, further down the trail there were pools and dikes with many birds.

• American White Pelicans!: We saw 2 American White Pelicans floating and flying over a pool. It was Dave’s first White Pelicans (I saw my first in NJ, read about the awesome experience with Mr. Pelican  here). I discovered while entering my checklist on e-Bird that the pelicans were considered rare in our location, so we were lucky enough to have some “rare” birds on this trip. At this time of year American White Pelicans are usually in Florida, the Gulf Coast, Mexico, or parts of California.

American White Pelicans (Image by BirdNation)

• Yellow-rumped Warblers, more Bufflehead, Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, White-breasted Nuthatch, Snowy and Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles
• And of course, the famous Chincoteague Wild Ponies. In March we had a cool experience of the wild ponies parading past our vehicle. There were a lot more visitors this time, so the ponies caused quite a spectacle (and traffic!). We again had a pretty “up close and personal” encounter with the ponies, although I don’t think the actually realized how close they came to our car. They were too busy just being wild ponies to notice how close they were.

Chincoteague Wild Ponies cause a commotion 

I’m so thankful that we had the time to head down for a fun-filled day at Chincoteague NWR. There’s always something amazing to see on Chincoteague Island.

The Whistler

Sorry I missed Waterfowl Wednesday this week! It was my first night of my Bio 2 Lab, so I didn’t get home until late. To make up for it, I wanted to share some facts about my newest life list addition, the Common Goldeneye.

• Hunters sometimes refer to the Common Goldeneye as the “whistler”. Goldeneyes are rapid flyers, so their wings make a whistling sound when they fly away. They can reach speeds of around 40 mph in flight.
• Common Goldeneyes are part of the genus Bucephala, which is derived from the Greek word boukephalos, meaning “bull-headed”. The other two living species of this genus are the Barrow’s Goldeneye and the Bufflehead.

Common Goldeneye female and male (Image via pinterest)

• Goldeneyes have up to 14 different movements that they can use during courtship displays. One common display is when the male stretches out his neck, suddenly whips it back over his body, and kicks his feet up to cause a splash while making a two-note call. Many males will try to court a single female. (I recommend searching “common goldeneye courtship” on Youtube and watching some of the cool display videos).
• Common Goldeneyes sometimes act as brood parasites  and lay their eggs in another Goldeneye’s nest, particularly when nest sites are in short supply.
• Like Wood Ducks, Goldeneye females lay their eggs high up in tree cavities. They commonly use Pileated Woodpecker holes, but will use artificial nest sites if readily available. Chicks will leave the nest cavity one day after hatching. They have quite a fall to endure: some Goldeneye cavities can be as high as 60 feet from the ground!
• During breeding season, Common Goldeneyes are found in the taiga through Alaska and Canada. They spend the winter throughout a majority of the “lower 48” of the United States.
• The Common Goldeneyes are obviously named for their gold-colored eye, however their eyes change colors many times before adulthood. All chicks are born with gray-brown eyes. By five months of age, their eyes will have transitioned from purple-blue, to blue, to green-blue, to pale green-yellow. Males will have their eyes change to golden by adulthood, while females will have a range from yellow to white.

The Beautiful Golden Eye By Francis C. Franklin (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Gadwall Wednesday

Today’s waterfowl of the week is the Gadwall. This duck may not be as colorful in appearance as other ducks, but Gadwalls have a simple elegance that makes them hard to ignore.

Gadwall (Anas strepera)

Description:

• Roughly the same size as Mallards
• Squarish heads with high foreheads
• White secondary feathers sometimes visible
• Males: Gray-brown with black tail patch and silver tertial feathers (innermost flight feathers to the wing), black bill 
• Females: Brown and buffy, orange bill with black spot
• Juveniles: Gray-brown, plain face, thin black bill with orange sides

Gadwalls, male (front) and female (rear) (Image by BirdNation)

Range:

• Resident: Mid-Atlantic Coast, Pacific Coast, Pacific Northwest, Great Plains region
• Breeding: Upper Great Plains, Great Lakes, parts of Central Canada
• Winter: Southern regions of United States, Mexico
• Migration: Medium-distance migrant. Northeastern United States, Midwest region, Ontario, nothern parts of Quebec and Newfoundland

Habitat:

freshwater or alkali lakes, coastal marshes, estuaries, inter-mountain valleys

Diet:

Aquatic vegetation, mollusks, crustaceans, invertebrates, insects. Forages by dabbling or taking food off the water’s surface. Will sometimes scavenge and steal food from other birds, especially American Coots.

Breeding/Nesting:

• Courtship: Occurs in the fall and pair bonds are monogamous during breeding season. Displays included showing off white patches by making head and tips of tail meet, rearing up with bill in water while whistling. Pairs will face each other and bob heads or hide their bill under the wing as if preening.
• Nesting Site: A shallow depression about 200 yards from open water in grasses/brush or on small islands.
• Young: Females incubate 8-11 eggs for about 3 weeks. Chick are precocial so they quickly leave the nest, and are tended to by the mother but can feed themselves. First flight occur around 50 days after hatching.

Gadwall Nest By USFWS Mountain-Prairie; Credit: Char Binstock / USFWS (2012) (Flickr: Gadwall Nest) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Vocalizations:

Females quack similarly to Mallards, though they sound more nasally and higher-pitched. Males give a deep call during flight that is referred to as a “burp”.

Conservation:

Gadwall populations have actually increased over the years due to conservation programs.

Fun Facts:

• Sometimes females will act as brood parasites and lay their eggs in another female’s nest.
• Gadwalls are the third most hunted duck in North America (after Mallard and Green-winged Teal respectively)
• Gadwalls also breeding in parts of Asia and northern Europe.
• Females will consume more invertebrates than males do to get more protein while laying her eggs. She will lay one egg each day until she completes the brood.

A Golden Day

Today Dave and I took a trip to Amico Island. It was only 30 degrees, but we ended up seeing 14 species, including a new life list bird.

We spotted Golden-crowned Kinglets as soon as we got out of the car. There were at least two of them swiftly jumping from branch to branch. These cute little birds are extremely agile while gleaning the branches for food. They sport a golden yellow crest surrounded by black stripes. It’s no surprise that we found these kinglets in the freezing weather: they can survive -40 degree nights!

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Image by David Horowitz)

There weren’t only kinglets when we arrived at the park. On a nearby tree was a Brown Creeper. The tiny Brown Creeper happened to be on the largest tree in the area. Brown Creepers are very hard to spot because they blend in perfectly with the tree bark. Unlike White-breasted Nuthatches, who climb both up and down tree trunks, Brown Creepers only climb up the tree. Once it reaches the top, a creeper will fly back down to the base in order to ascend again. Brown Creepers actually hop up the tree using their curved sharp claws and tail to help keep them stable.

Brown Creeper (Image by David Horowitz)

For the first part of the hike we took the blue trail through the woods. Along the way we saw more creepers, kinglets, a Tufted Titmouse, a Yellow-rumped Warbler, a Downy Woodpecker, and some Carolina Wrens. The Carolina Wren pictured below was doing an interesting little back-and-forth dance while chattering. I’m guessing it was a female since female Carolinas are the ones that chatter.

Carolina Wren (Image by BirdNation)

We spent the second part of the walk near where Rancocas Creek and the Delaware River meet. The creek was really frozen, but parts of the river were starting to melt. It was really cool hearing the sounds of the cracking and melting ice while we looked for birds. Along the way we spotted two Great Blue Herons, a Bald Eagle, tons of Ring-billed Gulls, a Bufflehead, some Canada Geese, and Common Mergansers.

Not far from the mergansers was a dark diving duck. It had a distinct white patch towards the rear of its body. Another one soon arrived, and this duck had a white patch near the bill. The heads of these ducks were more of a triangular shape, and the newly arrived bird had a large white section. We got our moment of confirmation when these ducks flew away: a bright gold eye. Our first life bird of the year were a small group of Common Goldeneyes. The picture below isn’t that great (they were really far), but it was able to help us with id.

Common Goldeneyes (Image by BirdNation)

It was cold, but at the same time refreshing to be out with the waterfowl in the crisp air. Although it was a pretty drab-looking day, we came out golden with our kinglets and goldeneyes :-).

Frozen Delaware River (Image by BirdNation)

Birding in 16 Degrees

Yep, you all know me. I had to squeeze in one last birding trip of 2017. 16 degrees won’t stop me from spending a few minutes out with the ducks and geese of Haddon Lake Park. The lake was almost completely frozen over, except for a small area with all the waterfowl. Happy New Year! See you on the other side in 2018 🙂

 

Waterfowl 1 (Image by BirdNation)

Waterfowl 2 (Image by BirdNation)

A Frozen Haddon Lake (Image by BirdNation)

American Wigeon: Waterfowl Wednesday

It’s one of the best times of the year again: waterfowl season! And you know what means…the Waterfowl Wednesday feature is back for its 3rd winter!

Today we took our first winter trip down to Edwin B. Forsythe NWR and saw a plethora of waterfowl (13 species to be exact). One of these species was the lovely American Wigeon.

American Wigeon (Anas americana)

Description:

• Male Alternate Plumage (breeding): Pinkish-brown body, white forehead, green patch from eye to nape, white rear flanks, green speculum, black undertail coverts, gray cheeks/chin, white patch on upper wing, gray slightly down-turned bill with black tip
• Male Basic Plumage: (eclipse): Variable amounts of green and white on heads, and some white on undertail coverts (usually black)
• Female: Reddish-brown body, mainly gray heads with dusky/white streaks, gray slightly down-turned bill with black tip
• Immature: Very similar to female plumage, gets black tip on gray bill as it gets older

American Wigeon male (Image by BirdNation)

Range:

• Breeding: Canada and Northwestern United States
• Resident: Parts of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Colorado
• Winter: Pacific and Atlantic Coasts, southern half of United States, Mexico
• Migration: New England and Midwestern regions of United States

Habitat:

freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, bays, fields, lakes, coastal estuaries

Breeding male American Wigeon (Image by David Horowitz)

Diet:

Mainly aquatic plants, mollusks, some insects, seeds. Forages day or night on land or in shallow water by submerging head. Sometimes steals prey from diving ducks in deeper waters.

Breeding/Nesting:

• Courtship: jumping out of water, head-turning, wing-flapping, wagging tail. Several males court a single female, with pairs forming on wintering grounds.
• Nesting Site: Dry land away from water. Uses a small depression on the ground lined with grasses and down feathers. Conceals nest with vegetation
• Young: Female incubates 5-12 whitish eggs for about 3 weeks. Males tend to leave before the eggs hatch. Chicks are precocial, they leave the nest shortly after hatching and can feed themselves. The female will tend to the young until their first flights, which can be between 45-63 days after hatching.

Female Wigeon By Mdf (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Vocalizations:

Males whistle whew-whew-whew! Females give a low harsh quack or rred growl

Conservation: 

Although populations have risen and fallen over the years, American Wigeons are considered stable. Their breeding range has slowly been extending eastward. They are widely hunted during fall hunting season.

Fun Facts:

• American Wigeons spend more time in deep water than other marsh ducks.
• The male’s white forehead has given these ducks the nickname “Baldpate”.
• American Wigeons have been known to hybridize with the Eurasian Wigeon, a rare visitor to North America. Breeding male Eurasian Wigeons are distinct from Americans because of their dark rufous heads. Female Eurasians have a brown head. Juvenile Americans and Eurasians look almost completely alike, however, Americans have white underwings and Eurasians have gray underwings.

Male American (left) and Eurasian (right) Wigeons (Image via pinterest)