A large diving duck with a distinctive sloping forehead and long bill. Males have a rich chestnut head, black chest, and gleaming white back. Wintering on Chesapeake Bay made them historically a prized table duck.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The canvasback is a species of diving duck, the largest found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia — Canvasback Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Large diving duck with a distinctive sloping forehead and long black bill. Male has a chestnut-red head, black chest, and gleaming white body; female pale grayish-brown.
Similar species. Redhead has a rounder head, a shorter bluish bill with a black tip, and a grayer body; Canvasback's wedge-shaped head profile is diagnostic.
Voice. Mostly silent; males give soft cooing growls in courtship.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Varies by species: aquatic plants, seeds, invertebrates, fish.
Behavior. A diving duck that upends and dives for the roots and tubers of aquatic plants (especially wild celery); flies fast on rapid wingbeats. Nests in prairie-pothole marshes.
§ Range
Breeds in prairie potholes and boreal Canada; winters along US coasts
§ Habitat
Deep freshwater lakes, large rivers, coastal bays
§ Threats
Loss of underwater grass beds (key food), prairie wetland drainage, lead exposure.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the canvasback is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Restore submerged aquatic vegetation. Support prairie pothole conservation. Use non-toxic shot.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Canvasback
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Aythya valisineria
- IUCN Red List — search for Aythya valisineria
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Aythya valisineria
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
