# Redhead (*Aythya americana*) The Redhead is a beautiful duck with a striking reddish-brown head. They love to swim in lakes and ponds, diving underwater to find tasty plants and small fish. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Redhead](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Aythya_americana_f_Ontario.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mykola Swarnyk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aythya_americana_f_Ontario.jpg) ## Appearance The Redhead is a medium-sized diving duck with a distinctive rounded head. Males boast a striking cinnamon-red head and neck, a black chest, and a gray body, with a blue-gray bill featuring a white ring. Females are duller, mostly brown with a dark crown. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Aythya ## Interesting facts - Baby Redheads, called ducklings, can swim and find food on their own right after hatching! - During courtship, male Redheads perform elaborate head-tossing displays to impress females. - Redheads can migrate thousands of kilometers, flying vast distances without stopping! - Their eyes are bright golden-yellow, a stunning contrast to their head feathers! ## Special abilities - **Expert Diver:** Redhead can dive deep underwater for food because its dense bones and powerful legs help it propel through the water. - **Brood Parasite:** Redhead has the unique ability to lay eggs in other duck's nests, which helps them expand their brood without extra effort. - **Flocking Giant:** Redhead can gather in huge flocks, sometimes thousands strong, because it's a very social duck that helps them find safety and food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 42-56 cm - **Wingspan:** 76-89 cm - **Weight:** 0.7-1.3 kg - **Lifespan:** 12-22 years - **Speed:** 80 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 7-14 - **Incubation:** 24-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding This duck loves to eat underwater plants and sometimes small aquatic bugs and snails! - **Primary Foods:** Pondweeds, Wild celery, Duckweed, Aquatic insects, Snails, Small fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Large raptors like eagles often prey on ducks, especially during migration. - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Coyotes are opportunistic predators, targeting nests and sometimes adult ducks. - **Eats:** Wild Celery (*Vallisneria americana*) — A primary food source, especially vital on their wintering grounds. - **Parasitizes:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — Redheads frequently lay their eggs in Mallard nests. - **Parasitizes:** [Canvasback](https://www.snappit.app/explore/canvasback) (*Aythya valisineria*) — Redheads also parasitize their close relative, the Canvasback, laying eggs in their nests. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch ducks from a distance and do not feed them bread. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Redhead? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Redhead? 42-56 cm ### What is Redhead's wingspan? 76-89 cm ### How much does Redhead weigh? 0.7-1.3 kg ### How long does Redhead live? 12-22 years ### How fast can Redhead move? 80 km/h ### What does Redhead eat? This duck loves to eat underwater plants and sometimes small aquatic bugs and snails! ### Where is Redhead usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bolsa-chica-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Camp Evans](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-evans) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Pointe Mouillee State Game Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pointe-mouillee-state-game-area) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Alamo Plaza Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alamo-plaza-historic-district) — Texas, US · Historic District - [Alan Bible Visitor Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alan-bible-visitor-center) — Nevada, US · Botanical Garden - [Crowley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crowley-historic-district) — Louisiana, US · Historic District [View all places to see Redhead](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/redhead) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Redhead: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/redhead)