The cotton pygmy goose nests in tree holes, like hollowed-out trunks, during the dry season. They swim in freshwater lakes, paddy fields, and irrigation tanks. Eurasian Wigeons breed in shallow wetlands and freshwater marshes, ponds, and lakes, surrounded by forests and tundras. Females lay an average of 7-10 eggs, preferring to nest on the ground of said forest or tundra. Blue-winged teals prefer wetlands and areas such as shallow marshes, flooded ditches, and ponds. Females lay an average of 10 eggs each year and nest in tall grasses.

The female garganey is like the male in eclipse plumage but paler. There is an obvious white spot near the bill. Teals feed by upending, dabbling, or grazing. It may also submerge its head completely, and occasionally dives.

SEA DUCKS

Fish is the primary food source for red-breasted mergansers. They need to eat 15-20 fish per day, which means they dive underwater 250-300 times and forage for 4-5 hours!

Shovelers feed by swimming slowly across water, skimming the surface from side to side with its bill. It sometimes submerges its head. They often feed in groups, swimming in circles to churn up the water and bring food to the surface.

The female has grey-brown to tawny barred and spotted plumage, with a white belly, and plain flanks. The head is grey with a dark smudge behind the eye. The female pintail is similar to the male in eclipse plumage with streaks and a lacey pattern. The head is plain, while the bill and legs are grey. Nesting happens on cliff ledges in small nooks and crannies, along with holes in trees. Occasionally, a nest is on the ground. Hens lay and incubate the eggs, some drakes will guard their nest and chase away predators. Other drakes will not participate in any of the nesting processes and will instead continue migrating to their molting locations. The female is grey with brown mottles with a darker brown breast, and rump. The head his pale, dull brown with a white eyering and white around the bill and throat. The bill is grey with a pale central band. Males in eclipse plumage is like the female but has a redder head and red eyes.

Whether in the tundras of Canada or California, American Wigeons prefer wet meadows, wetlands, and flooded pastures for their foraging of grasses and sedges. Blue-winged TealThe female is brown with dark streaks and brown ‘V’ shapes on the flanks. The tail is white, and the wings have the blue and white patches like the male. The head is grey with fine stripes, and the bill is brown with orange or yellow marks. The female is mottled brown overall with a white streak by the tail. The green stripe on the wing is less bright, and the bill is grey with a pink base. The male in eclipse plumage resembles the female.

Redheads eat aquatic plants, pondweed, and grass. They also like to munch on snails, zebra mussels, and mayflies.

DABBLING DUCKS

European longevity records (collated by EURING) - note these estimate the time the bird has been alive Mallards upend in shallow water, feed from the surface, and sometimes dive. They also graze on dry land, and forage for food in fields and woodland. In eclipse plumage, the male is similar to the female but rustier coloured, and with a dark green cap and eyestripe, and yellow bill. View ringing totals by area or county for the current year, sorted either alphabetically or by number ringed Nesting takes place on the ground near the water’s edge. Natural nests tend to be in overhanging grass and made from anything the female can reach from her indentation of the earth. Female mallards will not carry material from anywhere else to their nest. Interestingly, mallards accept artificial nesting structures, such as homemade nests from homeowners and farmers. Mallard females lay 1-13 eggs 1-2 times each year.