Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Aythya (a seabird named by Aristotle) valisineria (for wild celery, a favoured food)

Female/eclipse Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) in North Dakota, USA - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 862-1588g  /  Length: 48-56cm  /  Wingspan: 79-89cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largest of the aythya ducks, they breed in prairie potholes from Alaska to Colarado before migrating to Mexico and Southern states. They dive and dabble for food, eating a largely plant based diet with wld celery and sago pondweed being particular favourites, though they do also eat molluscs and inset larvae. 
 
Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Breeds in Alaska and patchily in Centre North of the Lower 48, Winters in the Southern half of the Lower 48
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in North Dakota

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)

OTHER NAMES: African Comb Duck
Latin Etymology: Sarkidiornis ("carbuncle bird") melanotos ("black-backed")  

Flock of Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 1-2.9kg  /  Length: 56-76cm  /  Wingspan: 116-145cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A very distinctive looking bird - among the largest of all ducks, with the namesake knob on the bill of the males and purple irridescence on its back, and close range it should be essentially unmistakable. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, and also in South and South East Asia where it favours wetlands and lake.
 

Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes 

Family: Anatidae 

Genus: Sarkidiornis

SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic  

- Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ទាកាប៉ាព្រៃ 

A local resident on Tonle Sap

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: A flock seen overhead at Prek Toal 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Redhead (Aythya americana)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Aythya (a seabird named by Aristotle) americana ("of America")  

Adult male Redhead (Aythya americana) at Lake Saskatoon, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1030-1080g  /  Length: 37cm  /  Wingspan: 74-84cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A diving duck found in North America where they prey on small water animals including molluscs, insects and fish during the breeding season but on their wintering groups are primarily herbivores, feeding on grasses and pondweeds. They share their range with the cosmetically similar Canvasback, but that species in much larger and has an all black bill. Their population is currently increasing.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

CANADA - Breeds in the Great Plains
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta and British Columbia 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Anser ("goose") caerulescens caerulescens ("ceruleanish")

Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) at Deeping Lakes, Lincolnshire - January 2026

Featured Subspecies: Unknown
Weight: 2-3kg  /  Length: 64-79cm  /  Wingspan: 135-165cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A species that breeds on the Arctic tundra of North America, just tipping over into Siberia, it is notable for coming in two morphs; the snow morph seen here has the bird as entirely white plumaged except the black tail, while the "blue" morph  have only white heads on otherwise dark grey bodies. While this bird was presumably a vagrant as it was associating with whooper swans, typically the Wintering range of Snow Geese is various pockets in the USA and Mexico.

Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes 
Family: Anatidae 
Genus: Anser
SUBSPECIES: A. c. caerulescens, A. c. atlanticus

 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM 
 Rare vagrant and also feral breeding species
-  One bird seen at Deeping Lakes in January 2026 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)

OTHER NAMES: Barbary Duck
Latin Etymology: Cairina ("of Cairo") moschata (muscovy, though of unclear origin - see text)

Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1.25-4kg  /  Length: 71-84cm  /  Wingspan: 137-152cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While the Muscovy Duck is widely spread across Central and South America, it is perhaps more familiar to many as a domesticated species reared for it's meat since Pre-Columbian times, but can now be found worldwide in farms, and in places, as a result feral populations. They are capable of producing exceptionally large clutch sizes of up to 16 eggs. Feral birds often have white or piebald plumage but wild birds only have white on the wings.  The origin of why they are called "Muscovy" is unclear as they have no natural connection to Moscow, and several theories have been presented as to how this would have come about.   
 
Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Cairina
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - El Pato Criollo ("Creole Duck")
A widespread resident of lowland wetlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

OTHER NAMES: Black-bellied Tree Duck
Latin Etymology: Dendrocygna ("tree swan") autumnalis ("autumnal")

 

Two adult Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) plus chicks at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Dendrocygna autumnalis fulgens

Weight: 650-1000g  /  Length: 46-56cm  /  Wingspan: 76-94cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the most widespread of ducks in Central and South America, but also found in the USA, primarily in Florida and Southern Texas. Unlike many waterfowl species within its range it is resident, although they do locally disperse as needed. Unusually compared to most ducks covered so far, they prefer to feed by wading through shallows rather than floating. It's population is currently increasing and expanding North
 
Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Dendrocygna
SUBSPECIES: D. a. fulgens, D. a. autumanlis
 
- Sighting Locations - 

COSTA RICA - Spanish - suirirí piquirrojo
Widespread resident
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca)

OTHER NAMES: Ferruginous Pochard, Common white-eye, White-eyed Pochard, Fudge Duck
Latin Etymology: Aythya (a seabird named by Aristotle) nyroca (Pochard)

Adult female Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) at Brampton Pits, Cambridgeshire - October 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 460-730g  /  Length: 32-42cm  /  Wingspan: 63-67cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

An easily overlooked species where its chestnut and coppery colour isn't always apparent when not in clear light - they are a species which breeds in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and in scattered enclaves along the Mediterranean and Middle East, Wintering to the South.  It is however, a fairly regular vagrant to the UK, and 2025 seemed to be a somewhat bumper year for them with a number showing up at various sites, often associating with other aythya species liked common pochard and tufted duck.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A regular vagrant
 - Seen at Brampton Pits, Cambridgeshire in October 2025

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Bucephala ("bull headed") islandica ("of Iceland")

Adult in eclipse plumage Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) at Saskatoon Lake, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 590-970g  /  Length: 43-49cm  /  Wingspan: 70-73cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A species with a very perculiar range - it breeds in the Rockies up into Alaska, but also has a disjunct population in the Gulf of St Lawrence in Quebec, and, perhaps even more oddly, a relict population in Iceland in Europe.  In most plumages relatively simple to separate from the Common Goldeneye - in breeding males the face patch is a wedge rather than round, and in the breeding females the beak becomes orange, however, in eclipse it can become a bit subtler and features such as black wingbars and the head shape become required.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Bucephala
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA - Breeds across much of Canada
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

OTHER NAMES: Little Bluebill, Broadbill
Latin Etymology: Aythya (a seabird named by Aristotle) affinis ("related to")

Adult and chick Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) at Anchorage, Alaska - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 450-1089g  /  Length: 38-48cm  /  Wingspan: 68-78cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A bird that is only differentiated from it's relative the Greater Scaup on fairly subtle shape details, particularly in more ambiguous plumages like the one shown above. However, note the narrow head profile without big round cheeks, a feature that is typical of the greater when present.  They feed by sifting through mud for molluscs, as well as feeding on aquatic plants.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Alaska, the Rockies and areas of the Central Lower 48. Winters along Guld and Pacific Coasts
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in Alaska

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Bucephala ("bull headed") albeola ("white")

Female or eclipse male Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) at Saskatoon Lake, Alberta - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 270-550g  /  Length: 32-40cm  /  Wingspan: 55cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A small relative of the Goldeneyes whose breeding range is almost entirely within Canada, they are a tree-nesting duck using the nesting cavities of Northern Flicker nearto Water, although they must compete with other species that also use this strategy. They are diving ducks and feed primarily on insects, crustaceans and molluscs.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Bucephala
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA - Breeds across much of Canada
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Spatula ("spoon") discors ("different")

Non-breeding Adult/Immature Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) at Saskatoon Lake, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 370g  /  Length: 40cm  /  Wingspan: 58cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

For a bird with such a specificatlly descriptive name, the blue wings of the Blue-winged teal aren't actually visible when the bird is on the water with the upper wings in flight or when preening revealing a large powder-blue area covering the upper forewing. Instead, in ambigous eclipse plumage, at rest one must go by more subtle clues, in this case, the white area at the base of the bill separating it from the more common Green-winged Teal.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Spatula
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Breeds throughout most of lower latitudes of Canada
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen at Saskatoon Lake 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Melanitta ("black duck") deglandi (for ornithologist Côme-Damien Degland)

Adult female White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) at Anchorage, Alaska - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 950-2100g  /  Length: 48-60cm  /  Wingspan: 80cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A close relative of the Velvet Scoter and until fairly recently was considered the same species. White Winged Scoters are found along most of the sub-Arctic coasts of the US and Canada in Winter while breeding on inland lakes in the boreal forests of Western Canada.  White-winged Scoters are capable of diving up to 20m down in search of prey.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Melanitta
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Winters off many coasts, breeds in Southern Alaska
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: One female seen in  Anchorage, Alaska 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Cygnus ("swan") buccinator ("trumpeter")

Adult and two juvenile Trumpter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) at Anchorage, Alaska, USA - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 7-13kg  /  Length: 140-165cm  /  Wingspan: 185-300cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Among the heaviest flying birds in the world, the Trumpeter swan has a larger average mass than its nearest rivals and by most other metrics a close second. It breeds in numerous pockets of area in the US and Alaska, though it's Wintering it more centred on the pacific coasts, though there are patches where it is resident.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Cygnus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

A widely distributed species in the Northern States of the lower 48 and Alaska.
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen at Necedah, Wisconsin and Anchorage, Alaska 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)

OTHER NAMES: Brahminy Duck
Latin Etymology: Tadorna (from French name for Common Shelduck) ferruginea (rust coloured)

Adult female Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) at Hollowell Reservoir - July 2023

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1.2kg  /  Length: 58-70cm  /  Wingspan: 110-135cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A species with a debated position on the British list, the heart of it's natural range is Central Asia, but populations found in the Netherlands have increased rapidly over time, but this is balanced against it being a species with a strong history of escaping from captivity. This particular individual has been returning to Hollowell and Ravensthorpe reservoir for the past four years in the Summer, and quite conceivably derrived from the feral European population.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes 
Family: Anatidae 
Genus: Tadorna
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A regular of frequentiy ambiguous providence
 - Seen at Hollowell Reservoir (single bird in 2019)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Branta (Old Norse for burnt) ruficollis ("rufous coloured")

Adult Red-breasted Goose (subspecies ) at Blakenham, Norfolk - May 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: g/kg  /  Length: 53-56cm  /  Wingspan: 110-125cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

The Red-breasted Goose is arguably the prettiest of the Goose species - it breed in the Far North of central Russia before descending to Winter along the Western side of the Black Sea. There are however instances when vagrant individuals end up associating with Brent Geese and turning up as vagrants in the rest of Europe, as this particular individual did in 2022. Their taxonomy holds a few points of interest - there is evidence of hybridisation with Brents in their ancestry, and additionally there is a painting in Egypt depicting a similar but unknown species which is not otherwise known today.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Branta
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant, often associated with Brent Geese.

 - Vagrant at Blakenham in May 2022

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Anser ("goose") indicus ("of India")

Escapee Adult Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) at Thornham Harbour - November 2020

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2-3kg  /  Length: 68-78cm  /  Wingspan: 140-160cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A distinctive goose of Asia - it breeds on the high Tibetan plateau while Wintering in India. This migration also leads to one of it's other most noteworthy features - it is one of the most high flying of all bird species, crossing over the Himalayas of heights of around 6400m, with apocryphal stories of it being seen even higher. While there are feral populations in Europe, most if not all of the UK sightings of this bird are believed to be escapees from private collections, including this one seen associating with Greylag Geese in Norfolk. 

Related Species:

Order: Anseriformes 

Family: Anatidae 

Genus: Anser

SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An escapee from pirvtae collections, possibly a feral breeder

 - A single bird associating with Greylags at Thornham Harbour

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Indian Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Anas ("duck") poecilorhyncha ("pied bill")

Three adult Indian Spot-billed Duck (subspecies A. p. haringtoni) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Anas poecilorhyncha haringtoni
Weight: 790-1500g  /  Length: 55-63cm  /  Wingspan: 83-95cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The South Asian equivalent to the Eastern Spot-billed Duck I first encountered in Japan, the Indian is a more striking bird with more contrasting, patterned plumage and a bright red face patch.  Unfortunately, all this was kind of lost on me as the only birds I saw were in flight at the Florican Grasslands, which probably makes this the very first species of duck I've seen only in flight.  Generally, they are apparently fairly secretive birds that avoid large sections of open water, which is probably a factor in why I only saw these ones that had been flushed.

Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Anas
Subspecies: A. p. haringtoni, A. p. poecilorhyncha

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer: ទាកាបព្រៃ ("Wild duck")

A locally reasonably common resident

 - Seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)

OTHER NAMES: Kooldjak, Gooldjak
Latin Etymology: Cygnus ("swan") atratus ("black")

Escapee Adult Black Swan (subspecies C. a. atratus) at Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire - January 2018

Featured Subspecies: Cygnus atratus atratus
Weight: 3.7-9kg  /  Length: 110-142cm  /  Wingspan: 1.6-2cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While a number of duck species have escaped captivity and gone feral, swans haven't had the same success.  In part this is because they tend to be less popular in collections to begin with.  The Black Swan is a native of Australia and the closest thing to an established feral swan species we have - there are a few small established populations dotted around the country, plus other sole individuals like this.  Interestingly, a black swan existed in European folklore before before Australia was discovered - a symbol for extreme rarity in contrast to the white swans familiar in Europe.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Cygnus
Subspecies: C. a. atratus, C. a. sumnerensis (extinct)

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A Rare Feral Breeding Resident and Regular Escapee

 - Single bird seen at Holme Pierrepont (January 2018) 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .