What’s Your Type?

National Geographic’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America divides ducklike waterfowl into the following eight types:

Whistling ducks: Upright and gooselike, these ducks are characterized by their distinctive, high-pitched whistles.

Perching ducks: Perchers like the Muscovy and Wood duck frequent wooded areas, forage on the water surface, and perch in trees.

dabbling ducks: Dabblers glean food from the surface of shallow bodies of water or by tipping tails-up to snag underwater edibles. Members include the Mallard, the Pintail, and most domestic duck breeds.

Pochards: Heavy-bodied diving ducks in this group include the Canvasback and Redhead.

eiders: These big northern ducks have a dense coat of down to keep them warm as they dive for food in the frigid sea.

sea ducks: This ocean-loving group of divers includes the stocky Surf Scoter and the Harlequin duck.

Mergansers: These streamlined waterfowl with thin serrated bills are superb divers and fish catchers.

stiff-tailed ducks: The only common species of this type in North America, the stocky Ruddy duck uses its stiffly upright tail as a rudder when it dives.