Breeding: Mallards have one of the most extensive breeding ranges of any duck in North America, extending across the northern one-third of the USA, and up to the Bering Sea. The highest mallard densities occur in the prairie pothole region of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and North Dakota, with nests placed in upland habitat near wetlands on the ground, or in tree holes or nest boxes. Female mallards lay an average of 9 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: Mallards migrate along numerous corridors, but the greatest concentrations move from Manitoba and Saskatchewan through the Midwestern USA to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Mallards winter throughout the USA, with highest densities typically recorded during winter surveys along the Mississippi Flyway from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to the Gulf of Mexico. Among the dabbling ducks, mallards are one of the latest fall migrants. They also have the most extended migration period, which lasts from late summer to early winter. Mallards are found in a variety of habitats including, dry agricultural fields, shallow marshes, and oak-dominated forested wetlands. Mallards are vagrant to Central America and the Caribbean. There are feral breeding populations on Bermuda, introduced in 1960, and the Cayman Islands, introduced in 1983.

Population: The mallard is the most common duck in the USA, with greatest abundance between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. The 2001 estimate of 7.9 million breeding mallards was a 17% decrease from last years estimate of 9.5 million, but 5% above the long-term average. Mallard populations have benefited greatly from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and other grassland restoration efforts in the northern prairies of the USA, where populations have increased 100% above the long-term average.

Food habits: Mallards dabble to feed on seeds, rootlets, and tubers of aquatic plants,

Description: The mallard is one of the most recognized of all ducks and is the ancestor of several domestic breeds. Its wide range has given rise to several distinct populations. Male: The male mallard's white neck-ring separates the green head from the chestnut-brown chest, contrasts with the gray sides, brownish back, black rump, and black upper- and undertail coverts. The speculum is violet-blue bordered by black and white and the outer tail feathers are white. The bill is yellow to yellowish-green and the legs and feet are coral-red. Male utters a soft, rasping kreep. Female: The female mallard is a mottled brownish color and has a violet speculum bordered by black and white. The crown of the head is dark brown with a dark brown stripe running through the eye. The remainder of the head is lighter brown than the upper body. The bill is orange splotched with brown and the legs and feet are orange. Female is especially vocal with the characteristic series of quacks

Breeding: The American black duck breeds from the upper Mississippi River across to the northeastern United States, north through northern Saskatchewan, Manitoba, across Ontario and the eastern Canadian Provinces. The highest breeding densities are found in Maine and Nova Scotia. Black ducks utilize a variety of habitats for breeding, such as alkaline marshes, acid bogs, lakes, stream margins, fresh, brackish, and salt marshes, and the margins of estuaries. Female black ducks lay an average of 9 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: Black ducks are most common in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways, with most distributed along the Atlantic coast from the Maritime Provinces to Florida. They are most abundant on coastal wetlands, ranging from the Maritime Provinces, Lake Erie, and the St. Lawrence River in Canada, to the mid-Atlantic coast in the United States. High concentrations are found wintering between Long Island and North Carolina. When away from the coast black ducks use large river valleys like those of the Tennessee, Detroit and Upper Illinois Rivers.

Population: Black duck populations have continuously declined since the 1950s. Reasons for this are unclear, but recent studies suggest that expansion of mallard populations eastward into black duck breeding habitats have resulted in hybridization and competition between these similar species. The estimated breeding population of American black ducks for the eastern survey area in 2001 was 422,000 birds, a 6% increase from last year's estimate.

Food Habits: Black ducks dabble in shallow water to feed on plant material and small aquatic animals (insects, amphibians, etc.) in freshwater habitats, and mollusks and crustaceans in maritime habitats.

Description: Black ducks are similar to mallards in size, and resemble the female mallard in coloration, although the black duck's plumage is darker. The male and female black duck are similar in appearance, but the male's bill is yellow while the female?s is a dull green. The head is slightly lighter brown than the dark brown body, and the speculum is iridescent violet-blue with predominantly black margins. In flight, the white underwings can be seen in contrast to the dark brown body.

Breeding: Northern pintails have a circumpolar breeding pattern. In North America, they breed from Alaska, the central Canadian Arctic, and western Greenland south to the western and central USA. Northern pintails nest in open areas near seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands located in prairie and tundra habitats. Females typically nest on the ground in low or sparse vegetation often far from water and lay an average of 8 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: Northern pintails are among the first ducks to migrate south in the fall and north in the spring. Over half of the pintail population in North America migrates through California. The majority of these birds winter in the Central Valley of California, but some continue south to the west coast of Mexico. Pintails using the Central Flyway winter in the Texas Panhandle and the Gulf Coast of Texas and western Louisiana. The majority of pintails using the Mississippi Flyway winter in Louisiana with smaller numbers wintering in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. Along coastal wintering grounds, pintails concentrate on shallow fresh or brackish estuaries adjacent to agricultural areas. Northern pintails are common winter visitors to Central America, the Caribbean and northern Colombia

Population:Pintails were one of the most abundant ducks in North America but have suffered a nearly continuous decline since the 1950s. In 2001, the breeding population was estimated at 3.3 million birds, substantially below the North American Waterfowl Management Plan objective of 5.5 million. More than any other North American waterfowl species, the pintail population has suffered from persistent drought and loss of grassland habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region.

Food habits: Pintails dabble and up-end to feed on the seeds and nutlets of moist-soil and aquatic plants. They also make extensive use of waste grain.

Description: Pintails are long, slender ducks with long, narrow wings, earning them the nickname "greyhound of the air." Pintails are named for their elongated central tail feathers, which constitute one-fourth of the drake's body length. Male northern pintails have a chocolate-brown head with a white stripe on each side of the neck extending up from the white breast and belly. The back is blackish-grayish and the rump has a white patch on each side. The two of long central tail feathers are black while the others are gray margined by white. In flight, an iridescent greenish-black speculum is displayed. The bill is blue-gray with a black stripe along the center to the tip and the legs and feet are slate-gray. The male has a mellow whistled "kwee" or "kwee-hee." Female northern pintails have a dark brown upper body with a buff or gray head and lower body. The speculum is a dull brown or bronze. The bill is blue-gray blotched with black and the legs and feet are slate-gray. Female vocalization is a hoarse muffled "quack."

Breeding: Gadwall breed near seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands, mainly in the shortgrass, tallgrass, and mixed prairie regions of the US and Canada. Substantial numbers also breed in wetland habitats of the Great Basin. Gadwall tend to begin breeding later than most ducks. Female gadwall nest in fields and meadows, and on islands and dikes in wetlands and lay an average of 7 to 12 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: Gadwall are distributed throughout the southern two-thirds of the USA in winter, with the greatest concentrations found in the Central and Mississippi Flyways. They are found throughout much of the intermountain west of North America, and most of Mexico, in reservoirs, farm ponds, and coastal fresh and brackish marshes. They are often found in association with American wigeon and American coots. Gadwall are a common winter visitor to Guatemala

Population: The North American gadwall population remained stable through the 1970s and early 1980s, while populations of other waterfowl species generally declined. Since the late 1980s, the gadwall population has increased to record levels. The 2001 breeding survey estimated 2.7 million breeding gadwall in North America, a 15% decrease from last year's estimate, but well above the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) goal of 1.5 million.

Food habits: Aquatic vegetation makes up the majority of the gadwall's diet. As a result, they are often found feeding far from the shoreline, in deeper water than most other dabbling ducks. Gadwall up-end to feed on leafy portions of pondweeds, naiad, widgeon grass, water milfoil, and algae and the seeds of pondweeds, smartweeds, bulrush, and spike rush. They also feed on aquatic invertebrates, such as crustaceans and midges.

Description: Gadwalls are medium-sized ducks characterized by a general lack of bright coloration. Males are gray-brown, with a white belly, and a black rump. In flight, a white speculum and chestnut and black portions on the wing coverts are displayed. The bill is slate-gray and the legs and feet are yellow. The male utters a short "nheck" and a low whistle. Female gadwalls are similar to males, but have a mottled brown appearance, a yellowish bill with dark spots, and a smaller white speculum. She utters a repeated "gag-ag-ag-ag-ag" higher in pitch than the mallard.

Breeding: American wigeon nest farther north than any other dabbling duck with the exception of the northern pintail. They breed throughout northern Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Alaska, and the Northwest Territories. American wigeon prefer shallow lakes and marshy sloughs that are surrounded by dry sedge-lined meadows and contain submergent vegetation. Female American wigeons lay an average of 9 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: American wigeon are among the earliest waterfowl to reach their wintering grounds. Wigeon in Alaska and western Canada migrate along the Pacific Flyway and winter around Puget Sound and into California. Birds that use the Central flyway winter in the Texas panhandle and along the Texas and Louisiana coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Along the Mississippi flyway, wetlands and lakes in eastern Arkansas and western Tennessee also provide important wintering habitat for wigeon. They use a variety of habitats in winter, including ponds, lakes, and saline and brackish marshes with abundant aquatic vegetation. Wigeon also readily forage on grasses and sedges in wet meadows and pastures. American wigeon are common winter visitor to Central America, the Caribbean, northern Colombia, Trinidad and occasionally Venezuela

Population: Surveys of wintering populations suggest that wigeon are among the most abundant North American ducks, yet they are still below the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) target population of 3.0 million breeding ducks. The estimated breeding population of American wigeon in 2001 was 2.5 million birds

Food habits: American wigeon are aquatic grazers and forage on grasses and sedges in wet meadows and pastures.

Description: Both males and females have a bluish black-tipped bill. Male American wigeons have a white patch from the forehead to the middle of the crown and an iridescent green band from the eye to the back of the head. They have pinkish-brown breast and sides that are separated from the black undertail coverts by white flank feathers. In flight, the white shoulder patch is diagnostic. The legs and feet are blue-gray to dark gray. Male whistles a "whee whee whew." Female American wigeons have a gray head with a brownish black crown and brownish chest and sides. The legs and feet are blue-gray to dark gray. Female vocalization is a "qua-ack."