Canvasback Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A large, big-headed diving duck with a gently sloping forehead and a stout neck. Its long bill meets the sloping forehead, creating a seamless look from the top of the crown to the tip of the bill. On the water it has an oval body and a short tail that gently slopes down into the water.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Ring-necked Duck, smaller than a Common Merganser.

  between crow and goose

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 18.9-22.1 in (48-56 cm)
    • Weight: 30.4-56.0 oz (862-1588 g)
    • Wingspan: 31.1-35.0 in (79-89 cm)

  © Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Breeding males have a chestnut head and neck set off against a black chest, whitish body, and black rear. Females are pale brown where males are chestnut and black, and they have a grayish rather than white body. In late summer and early fall, males have brown heads and necks with a paler body. Males have red eyes, and females have dark eyes.

• Behavior

  A diving duck that is gregarious during the nonbreeding season, forming large single-species rafts or mixing with Redheads and scaups. It dives underwater to feed on plant tubers, seeds, and clams.
• Habitat

  Breeds in lakes, deep-water marshes, bays, and ponds. In winter, found in deep freshwater lakes and coastal waters.