Duck Identification Quiz

1. Which duck is best known for a male with a swept-back iridescent crest, red eyes, bold white facial stripes, and a chestnut breast?

2. A dabbling drake has a pale crown, broad green patch behind the eye, warm brown sides, and a short bluish bill tipped in black. Which species is it?

3. During breeding season, you spot a compact duck with a chestnut body, black cap, striking blue bill, and stiff tail often held upward. Which species is it?

4. Which species has a male with a large fan-shaped black-and-white crest, chestnut sides, and a narrow, saw-edged bill?

5. A drake has a glossy green head, narrow white neck ring, chestnut breast, gray body, and curled black tail feathers. Which species is it?

6. A diving drake has a peaked head, black back, gray sides, yellow eye, and a bill marked by white rings near its tip. The chestnut neck ring is difficult to see. Which species is it?

7. A large fish-eating drake has a dark green head, mostly white body, and a long, narrow red bill with serrated edges. Which species is the best match?

8. A compact diving drake has a dark green head, bright yellow eye, and a round white spot between the eye and bill. Which species matches?

9. In an open wetland, you notice a slim drake with a chocolate-brown head, a white stripe extending up each side of the neck, and long pointed central tail feathers. What is it?

10. A large diving drake has a rusty-red head, black chest, pale back, and a long sloping forehead that merges into its bill. Which species fits these clues?

11. A very small drake has a chestnut head crossed by a broad green eye patch and a vertical white bar on the side of its breast. Which duck is it?

12. A tiny diving drake appears mostly black and white, with a large white patch wrapping around the back of its dark, puffy head. Which duck is it?

13. While scanning a shallow marsh, you see a dabbling duck feeding with an unusually broad, spoon-shaped bill. Which species should you consider first?

14. A small drake shows a bold white crescent directly in front of the eye. In flight, its forewings reveal large powder-blue patches. Which species fits?

15. A subtly patterned drake looks finely gray overall, has a black rear end, and reveals a conspicuous white wing patch in flight. Which duck is it?

16. You observe a large, very dark brown dabbling duck with a paler head, an olive-toned bill, and a violet-blue wing patch lacking the Mallard's two bold white borders. What is the best identification?