Bird Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ birds — with size, habitat, diet, voice, behavior, and the field marks that tell them apart.
Common Eider
A large, heavy-bodied sea duck of northern coasts, breeding males are strikingly patterned in black and white with a pale green nape, while females are finely barred brown.
waterfowl
Hooded Merganser
A small, striking fish-eating duck with a large fan-shaped crest, breeding males show a bold black-and-white head patch that they can raise or flatten at will.
waterfowl
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
A tall, long-legged, gregarious duck with a bright pink-red bill, gray face, chestnut body, and a bold black belly, often seen perching in trees.
waterfowl
Red-breasted Merganser
A slender, crested fish-eating duck with a thin serrated bill, breeding males show a shaggy dark green head, white collar, and rusty streaked breast.
waterfowl
Common Merganser
A large, sleek fish-eating duck with a slender hooked, serrated bill; breeding males have a glossy dark green head and clean white body.
waterfowl
Canada Goose
A large, familiar goose with a black head and neck, white chinstrap, and brown body, widespread across North America in a huge range of habitats.
waterfowl
Bar-headed Goose
A pale gray goose with two bold black bars across the back of a white head, famous for migrating at extreme altitudes over the Himalayas.
waterfowl
Greylag Goose
A large, bulky pale gray-brown goose with a stout pink or orange bill, the wild ancestor of most domestic geese and widespread across Eurasia.
waterfowl
Ross's Goose
A small, compact white goose with black wingtips and a short, stubby bill, essentially a miniature version of the Snow Goose.
waterfowl
King Eider
A striking Arctic sea duck; breeding males have a colorful orange, blue-gray, and green head crowned with a large orange frontal shield.
waterfowl
Ruddy Duck
A small, compact diving duck with a stiff, often cocked-up tail; breeding males show a rich chestnut body and a striking bright blue bill.
waterfowl
Muscovy Duck
A large, heavy-bodied duck with bare red or black facial skin around the eyes and bill, wild birds are glossy black with white wing patches.
waterfowl
Long-tailed Duck
A small, elegant Arctic sea duck with a uniquely long, slender tail in males and a complex seasonal plumage that changes more than almost any other duck.
waterfowl
Ruddy Shelduck
A large, warm orange-brown duck with a paler head, often seen in pairs on open lakes and rivers across Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Europe.
waterfowl
Egyptian Goose
A large, long-legged, goose-like duck native to Africa with a pale buffy-brown body, a distinctive dark eye patch, and a chestnut chest spot.
waterfowl
Black Scoter
A small, entirely black sea duck; males have a simple bright yellow-orange knob at the base of the bill, the plainest but most vocal of the scoters.
waterfowl
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
A long-necked, long-legged tawny-orange waterfowl with a distinctive whistling call, found in freshwater marshes across warm regions worldwide.
waterfowl
Common Shelduck
A large, goose-like duck with a bold white body crossed by a broad chestnut breast band and a glossy dark green head, common along Eurasian coasts.
waterfowl
White-winged Scoter
The largest North American scoter, a bulky black sea duck with a bold white wing patch and a small white crescent under the eye.
waterfowl
Surf Scoter
A chunky black sea duck with a boldly patterned orange, white, and black bill, males show white patches on the forehead and nape.
waterfowl
Harlequin Duck
A small, compact sea duck of turbulent waters, breeding males show an intricate pattern of slate blue, chestnut, and bold white markings.
waterfowl
Cackling Goose
A small goose nearly identical in plumage to the Canada Goose but noticeably smaller, with a shorter neck and a stubby, often steep-fronted bill.
waterfowl
Snow Goose
A bright white goose with black wingtips, occurring also in a dark "blue" morph, famous for massive, noisy flocks during migration.
waterfowl
Brant
A small, dark sea goose with a black head, neck, and breast broken only by a small white neck patch, tightly tied to coastal eelgrass beds in winter.
waterfowl
Greater White-fronted Goose
A medium-large brownish-gray goose with a white patch around the base of the bill and irregular black barring on the belly.
waterfowl
Gadwall
A subtly beautiful, medium-sized dabbling duck known for its intricate gray-brown male plumage, black rear, and distinctive white wing patch.
waterfowl
Mallard
The Mallard is an abundant and highly recognizable dabbling duck, famous for the breeding male's iridescent green head and bright yellow bill.
waterfowl
Common Goldeneye
A medium-sized diving duck named for its striking yellow eyes, known for the high-pitched whistling sound produced by its wings in flight.
waterfowl
Redhead
A medium-sized diving duck easily recognized by the male's striking cinnamon-red head, steep forehead, and bright yellow eyes.
waterfowl
Canvasback
The Canvasback is a large, elegant diving duck easily recognized by its distinctive long, sloping profile and the male's striking white body, reddish-brown head, and black chest.
waterfowl
Blue-winged Teal
A small, dabbling duck famous for the striking white crescent on the male's face and its brilliant powdery-blue wing patches exposed in flight.
waterfowl
Cinnamon Teal
A small dabbling duck of western wetlands, the breeding male is unmistakable with his rich, glowing cinnamon plumage and striking red eyes.
waterfowl
Bufflehead
A tiny, energetic diving duck of North America, recognized by the male's striking white wedge on his oversized, iridescent head.
waterfowl
Green-winged Teal
The smallest dabbling duck in North America, renowned for its agile flight, the male's striking green head stripe, and its brilliant green speculum.
waterfowl
Barrow's Goldeneye
A striking sea duck of western North America and Iceland, known for the male's crescent-shaped facial patch and distinctive purplish head.
waterfowl
Lesser Scaup
A small to medium-sized diving duck with a distinctive peaked crown, commonly seen in massive wintering rafts on inland lakes and bays.
waterfowl
Northern Pintail
Often called the 'greyhound of the air,' the Northern Pintail is an elegant, slender dabbling duck celebrated for its long neck and needle-pointed tail.
waterfowl
Mandarin Duck
An exquisitely beautiful perching duck native to East Asia, famous for the male's spectacular, multi-colored ornamental plumage.
waterfowl
Tufted Duck
A small diving duck of Eurasia, easily recognized by the male's striking black-and-white plumage, bright yellow eyes, and distinct hanging crest or 'tuft'.
waterfowl
Greater Scaup
A robust diving duck of northern waters, best recognized by its rounded head, pale grey back, and preference for gathering in large, dense flocks on coastal bays and vast lakes.
waterfowl
Ring-necked Duck
A distinctive diving duck of freshwater ponds, easily recognized by its sharply peaked head, black back, and boldly banded bill.
waterfowl
Wood Duck
Renowned for its breathtakingly colorful plumage, the Wood Duck is a unique, tree-nesting waterfowl found in forested wetlands across North America.
waterfowl
Eurasian Wigeon
A medium-sized dabbling duck recognized by the male's striking chestnut head, cream-colored crown, and diagnostic whistling call.
waterfowl
American Wigeon
A colorful dabbling duck known for the male's white crown, iridescent green eye patch, and high-pitched whistling call.
waterfowl
Northern Shoveler
A medium-sized dabbling duck instantly recognizable by its extraordinarily large, spatula-shaped bill used to filter-feed in shallow waters.
waterfowl