Ducks exhibiting black and white plumage are a common sight across various aquatic environments. While their striking contrast makes them stand out, identifying specific species can be challenging due to their diversity. Understanding their features and behaviors helps in distinguishing them.
Common Black and White Duck Species
Among the most frequently encountered black and white ducks are the Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Hooded Merganser, each possessing distinct characteristics.
The Bufflehead, a small diving duck, measures 13 to 16 inches long and weighs 9.5 to 19.4 ounces. Adult males are black and white, featuring an iridescent green and purple head with a prominent white triangular patch behind the eye. Females are gray-toned with a smaller white patch and a lighter underside.
The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck, with adult males 18 to 20 inches long and weighing about 2.2 pounds. Males have a dark head that appears greenish-black, a circular white patch below the eye, a dark back, and a white neck and belly. Their golden-yellow eyes give the species its name. Females are smaller, 16 to 20 inches and about 1.8 pounds, with a brown head and a mostly gray body.
The Hooded Merganser, the smallest North American merganser, is recognized by its thin bill and a fan-shaped, collapsible crest. Males feature a large, fan-like white crest bordered by black on their head. Their sides are tawny brown, while their neck, back, and head top are black, contrasting with a white chest and belly. Females have a russet-brown head with a smaller, backward-slanted crest, and dusky brown bodies with gray chests and sides.
The domestic Magpie Duck is a light breed, weighing 4 to 5 pounds. It has predominantly white plumage with a distinct colored “cap” on its head and a large colored patch extending along its back. The bill is long and usually orange or yellow, often turning green in older ducks. Its legs and feet are orange, sometimes mottled.
Identifying Features
Identifying black and white ducks involves observing specific visual cues beyond just their coloration.
Head Shape
Head shape is a distinguishing characteristic. The male Bufflehead has a large, puffy head. The Common Goldeneye’s head appears somewhat triangular with a sloping bill, and its golden-yellow eye is a marker. The Hooded Merganser is identified by its prominent, often fan-shaped crest, which can be raised or lowered.
Bill Size and Color
Bill size and color offer clues. The Bufflehead has a short, narrow gray bill. The Common Goldeneye has a small, narrow bill that slopes downward. Hooded Mergansers have a thin, serrated bill, adapted for catching fish, with males having a black bill and females a black upper bill with orange edges. Eye color also aids identification; the male Hooded Merganser has bright yellow eyes, and the female has brown eyes.
Overall Body Size, Crest Presence, and Silhouette
Beyond head and bill features, overall body size, crest presence, and silhouette contribute to identification. The Bufflehead is the smallest diving duck in North America. The Hooded Merganser’s elaborate crest on the male is an indicator, and its slender body and narrower wings differentiate it. Observing how a duck sits on the water or its flight pattern provides hints; diving ducks, like the Bufflehead and Goldeneye, sit lower in the water and require a running start to take flight.
Habitats and Distribution
Black and white duck species occupy diverse aquatic habitats across North America and beyond.
Buffleheads breed near ponds and small lakes in boreal forests and aspen parklands across Canada and Alaska. During winter, they migrate to protected coastal waters, estuaries, and inland lakes and rivers across southern North America, from Alaska to Mexico on the Pacific coast and from New Brunswick to Florida on the Atlantic coast.
Common Goldeneyes breed in the taiga, inhabiting lakes and rivers within boreal forests across Canada, the northern United States, and extending into parts of Europe and Russia. They are migratory, with most wintering in protected coastal or open inland waters at more temperate latitudes. Their wintering grounds include coastal North America from Alaska to Florida, as well as inland lakes and rivers, particularly the Great Lakes.
Hooded Mergansers breed in forested wetlands throughout eastern North America and the Pacific Northwest, being most common in forests around the Great Lakes. They prefer small bodies of water with ample emergent vegetation, such as ponds and small estuaries, but also utilize larger wetlands and rivers. While primarily freshwater inhabitants, they can also be found in brackish waters. They are short-distance migrants, wintering in regions of the United States where temperatures allow for ice-free conditions on ponds, lakes, and rivers, including coastal areas from Delaware to Texas and along the Pacific Coast.