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Redhead

Aythya americanaOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)
Codes: Common Name: REDH Scientific Name: AYTAME ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175125
Least Concern
 
Redhead: The male Redhead has gray upperparts and underparts, rufous head and neck, black breast, rump, and tail, and black-tipped gray bill.
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Redhead Variations

Redhead
Female
Redhead
Redhead
Male
Redhead

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Jelly Jar Jelly Feeder
The orange "blossum" replaces the lid of a jelly jar.
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Sliced orange secures easily to the center of the ring. Low cost.
Attract with Nectar
Hex shaped nectar feeds several Orioles. Nectar kept in fridge.
Charm and Attraction
Lovely copper umbrella keeps fruit cool and looks great.

Overview

Redhead: Medium diving duck, gray back and sides, black upper back, breast, rump, and tail, and white belly. Head and neck are rufous-brown, and blue-gray bill is black-tipped; eyes are yellow. Feeds mostly on aquatic vegetation. Rapid direct flight with strong wing beats, flies in V formation.

Range and Habitat

Redhead: Breeds in the northern prairies of the U.S. and Canada and intermountain marshes of the west. Spends winters mostly in Texas and Mexico. Nests in marshes, open lakes, and bays; often winters on saltwater.

Topo Map: Duck-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"whee-uogh", "keyair", "rrrrr"

Interesting Facts

 The Redhead was first described in 1838 by Thomas Campbell Eyton, an English naturalist.

 Females regularly lay eggs in the nests of other Redheads or other ducks, especially Canvasbacks.

 A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Splitbar
Range Map for Redhead

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Family Diving Ducks (Anatidae)_blue
Species Aythya americana
Length18 - 22 Inches
Wingspan32 Inches

Redhead

Redhead: Medium diving duck, gray back and sides, black upper back, breast, rump, and tail, and white belly. Head and neck are rufous-brown, and blue-gray bill is black-tipped; eyes are yellow. Feeds mostly on aquatic vegetation. Rapid direct flight with strong wing beats, flies in V formation.

● Song: "whee-uogh", "keyair", "rrrrr"

● Foraging & Feeding: Redhead: Feeds on seeds, rhizomes, and tubers of pondweeds, wild celery, water lilies, grass, and wild rice; also eats mollusks, aquatic insects, and small fish; forages by diving from the water surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Redhead: Nine to fourteen pale olive, buff, or dull white eggs are laid in a shallow cup of plant material lined with down, built in tall vegetation near water. Incubation ranges from 23 to 29 days and is carried out by the female. Sometimes lays eggs in nests of other waterbirds.

● Similar species: Redhead: Canvasback is larger and has dark bill.

Flight Pattern

Flies in V formation in migration., Rapid direct flight with fast wing beats.
Redhead Body Illustration_2
● Range & Habitat: Redhead: Breeds in the northern prairies of the U.S. and Canada and intermountain marshes of the west. Spends winters mostly in Texas and Mexico. Nests in marshes, open lakes, and bays; often winters on saltwater.
BreedingMonogamous, Brood parasite
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight41.6 Ounces
Duck-like BodyX
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX