Wildfowl Identification

Mallard

Large heavily built dabbling duck with rather long head and bill. Adult male characterised by glossy, dark green head, white collar & purple – brown chest, rest of plumage mainly light grey, tail white with black central feathers.

Female dull, mottled brown. Both sexes have purple speculum (metallic coloured feathers on upper wing) bordered by white wing bars particularly conspicuous in flight. Juvenile plumage similar to females.

Colouring of male resembles Red Breasted Merganser (protected). Females similar to Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler & Gadwall but both Male & Female mallard are more heavily built.

Wigeon

Medium-sized, short necked, compact dabbling duck with small bill, pointed tail and narrow wings. The male is mainly grey with buff forehead and crown, chestnut head and a pinkish-brown chest. In addition he has white underparts and a white shoulder patch which is readily seen in flight.

The female is duller, has brown plumage tinged in reddish-brown, white underside, green speculum fringed with white wing bars. A short bill and dark pointed tail are useful identifying characters. The female resembles a number of other dabbling ducks including Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler & Gadwall.

Teal

Small compact dabbling duck with narrow pointed wings. The male is characterised by conspicuous grey plumage contrasted by a dark chestnut head with a creamy-buff patch on each side of his black undertail feathers and prominent stripe along the shoulders. His underside is white and his breast cream with black spots.

The female is mottled brown with paler cheeks and white underside. A juvenile is very similar to the female but with spotted under parts. The only other species of similar size is the Garganey, which is a protected summer visitor

Gadwall

A medium sized dabbling duck of uniform appearance. The male is a uniform grey-brown with a conspicuous black rump He has a white speculum that forms a bold white patch on the trailing edge of the wing which is readily seen in flight against the chestnut and black upper wing feathers.

The female is dull, a mottled brown, with white belly and white wing patch as the male. Juveniles, much like the female, are well marked with streaks and spots on their underside and darker upper parts.

This duck is very similar in size to a Mallard and the female plumage resembles a number of other dabbling ducks including Mallard, Wigeon, Pintail & Shoveler.

Pochard

Medium sized diving duck having a short-necked ‘Dumpy’ appearance on water enhanced by their long broad bill. The male has a dark chestnut head and neck with a contrasting pale grey back and flanks, black breast and tail.

The female is a uniform brown colour but slightly paler around the face. Both sexes are characterised in flight by the absence of white on the wings but with a fore wing of grey. Juveniles resemble the female.

The male is readily distinguished with the female similar to the female Tufted Duck & Scaup (Protected except in N.I).

Shoveller

Medium sized dabbling duck with both sexes characterised by their very large spoon-like bill. They have a large flattened head and a short neck. The male has a striking dark-green head, chestnut flanks and belly with a contrasting white chest, pale blue fore-wing coupled with a green speculum edged in white.

The female is mottled brown, with similar but duller blue fore-wing and green speculum.. Juveniles are a duller version of the female.

The female resembles a number of other dabbling ducks including Mallard, Wigeon, Pintail & Gadwall.

Tufted Duck

Small compact diving duck. The adult male is black with white flanks and belly coupled with a rounded head and drooping crest.

The female has a rich dark brown head and back but her flanks and underside are much paler. Her crest is much smaller than the male. In flight both sexes appear black with white belly and a distinctive broad white wing bar. Juveniles very much resemble the female.

The male resembles the male Scaup, protected in the UK with the exception of NI, with the female similar to the female Pochard & Scaup.

Pintail

A large slim dabbling duck with a long neck and narrow tail. The male has a dark brown head and back of neck, pure white breast, sides and front of neck extending as a white streak up the side of his head. His back and flanks are light grey with a black rump. The wings are grey and brown with a green speculum that is conspicuous in flight.

The female is duller, has grey-brown plumage tinged in reddish-brown, with no discernible wing pattern in flight except for a light trailing edge to the inner wing. Juveniles resemble females but are generally darker and more uniform.

Although male Pintails are readily distinguished the female resembles a number of other dabbling ducks including Mallard, Wigeon, Shoveler & Gadwall.

Goldeneye

Medium sized stocky sea duck. The male has a high crowned ‘triangular’ head with a short bill and a greenish-purple gloss and circular patch on his cheek. His neck and under parts are white contrasting with a black back, rump and grey tail. The white inner wing is readily seen in flight.

The female is smaller than the male and has a chocolate brown head with a pale blue upper. Her under parts are white with grey flanks and tail. Her dark wings with conspicuous white patch are similar to the male. The juveniles resemble the female.

Both sexes are readily distinguishable from other diving ducks

Greylag Goose

A large, bigheaded, thick necked, heavy grey goose. Their head, neck and most of their body is a uniform pale brownish-grey. This goose is characterised by its large size, heavy neck & has with a stout bill. It has a very pale bluish-grey fore wing which is especially distinctive in flight. The bill is orange and legs flesh pink. The breast is often spotted black.

Young birds are similar to adults but generally without spots and with greyer legs.

Greylag Geese can be confused with Pink Feet, White-fronted Geese (protected in Scotland) especially immature birds and with Bean Geese (protected) but all of these are smaller and more slightly built in comparison.

Canada Goose

Canada Goose: Large, long-necked goose with dark upper parts and paler underparts grading to white on vent. The head and neck are black with white chin bar. Body is usually grey-brown, although varies from dark brown to grey in different races. White semi-circle above black tail is visible in flight.

Young birds similar to adults and generally indistinguishable in the field.

Not easily confused with any other species of goose.

Pink Footed Goose

Medium sized, pinkish grey goose characterised by a dark head and neck which contrasts with it’s pale brownish body. Their bill is small and short, dark coloured with a pink band. As per it’s name the feet and legs are pink. The back and wings are grey with a paler fore wing noticeable in flight.

Young birds are darker above but have a mottled appearance below compared to that of the adults.

Pink-footed Geese can be confused with Greylag, White-fronted Geese (protected in Scotland) especially immature birds and with Bean Geese (protected).

Common Snipe

Snipe are medium sized, skulking wading birds with short legs and long straight bills. Both sexes are mottled brown above, with paler buff stripes on the back, dark streaks on the chest and pale under parts.

Golden Plover

Medium sized wader with short, straight bill and rounded head. Distinguished in all seasons by a rich gold & black spotted plumage on the back of it’s wings. It has a white under wing, dark tail but no wing bar. In winter however, it has a white underside and a face that is a whitish, mottled golden brown. Both sexes are very similar.

Juvenile plumage is more uniform than the adult but paler above and darker below.

Confusion is most likely to be with the Grey Plover, which is protected.