Waterfowl Identification

Blue Winged Teal Raspy quackDrake has white mask Small fast flyingEarly arrival

Cinnamon Teal Not found in Central Flyway Red eye on Drake Rare in this area

Green Winged Teal Most common teal in this area Whistle rather than quack Fast and smallest teal

Black Duck Yellow beak separates it from the mallard hen Dark underside Rare in this area

Wigeon Whistling drake and quaking hen White wing patch/stomach that flashes in flight

Pintail (sprigs) Pointed black tail is called a sprig Big, smart whistling duck Big slow wing span

Gadwall (gray duck) White wing patch next to body Don’t like cold weather Short choppy quack

Mallard (greenhead) Yellow beak and orange feet Loud quack Have been domesticated Blue wing patch Most common

Wood duck Must have standing timber to nest Feed in flooded timber Most colorful Were endangered

Shoveler (spoonbil) Nasty mud inhabitants Huge bill Very common

Muscovy Commonly domesticated See around residential areas Red globs on head

Ruddy Diver Short, wide blue beak Erect tail on water

Canvasback Diver and big duck Not common in our area Fastest duck Pointed bill

Scoter Diver that runs on top of water for a long distance before flight. No good to eat Common in area

Hooded Merganser More of a Northern duck (rare this far south) Raised feathers on top of head

Redhead Migrate to S. Texas coast Blue bill with dark tip Gray body Drakes “meow” like a distressed cat

Canada Goose (Honkers) Largest goose Greater on East coast is bigger than Lesser found from Mississippi Flyway and west Like cold weather Hens/Drakes same

Snow Goose Most common in this area Blue phase is usually immature snow Love crop residue Roost on water

Specklebelly Goose Called “white Fronted” Second most common in this area Will fly with snows

Whooping crane Protected (less than 300 left in the wild) Migrate to Aransas, Tx. each year Largest waterfowl Feed on Aquatic

Cormorant Hated by fisherman because they feed on game fish

Snipe Shoreline bird with very long beak They are a game bird that is “good” to eat

Pelican Huge bill for scooping up water and fish to eat. Common around fish cleaning stations

Heron Common shore bird Not a game bird

Seagull Not a game bird

Egret Another shore bird Not a game bird

Sandhill Crane Feed on pastures and green fields “Excellent” to eat