Diving ducks
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
A regal diving duck with a long, sloping, wedge-shaped head.
- Length
- 48–56 cm
- Wingspan
- 79–89 cm
- Weight
- 0.86–1.6 kg
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
About this duck
Canvasbacks are among North America's largest diving ducks. They plunge several meters below the surface to dig up the roots and winter buds of underwater plants, and gather in big rafts on lakes, bays and estuaries in winter. Their numbers rise and fall with the health of those underwater plant beds.
How to spot one
In profile, the forehead and long black bill form one smooth slope. Drakes have a chestnut head, a red eye, a black chest and a pale, almost white back. Females share the profile but are softer brown, with a pale gray body.