By Savanna Larson, junior writing coach
With Minnesota’s estimated 11,842 lakes, there is bound to also be an abundance of waterfowl. Minnesota is specifically home to roughly 20 different duck species, from the well-known Mallard to the more obscure Gadwall.
Wood Duck:
A male wood duck is shown above.
The wood duck is by far the most interesting duck home to Minnesota, with a bright green head and piet-esque color-blocked feathers. Wood ducks can be found anywhere in Minnesota but prefer areas with a body of water close to a forested area, as wood ducks nest in hollow trees or stumps. Overall rating: 10/10
Canvasback:
A male canvasback is shown in the foreground, while a female canvasback is shown in the background.
The canvasback is yet another Minnesotan duck with distinct color blocking, but the canvasback is less bold with its color choices, preferring a muted beige and brown color palette. This makes sense for survival since the canvasback is mainly found in the grasslands to the west of the state. Due to the relatively boring color palette and habitat choice, the canvasback is a 5/10.
Pintail:
A male pintail duck is shown above.
The pintail duck is aptly named after its pointed tail. The pintail showcases a more muted color palette as well but does so with more finesse; its feathers display stripes that almost look like a topographical map printed in black and white. Due to this interesting pattern and overall classy vibe, the pintail’s overall rating is an 8/10.
Gadwall:
A male gadwall duck is shown above.
The gadwall is a mostly brown duck that only briefly is seen in Minnesota during its migration season to its breeding ground in the northern US and Canada during the warmer months and during its migration back south for the winter. Due to the basic feather patterns and the fact that these ducks can only be temporarily seen in Minnesota, the gadwall is a 4/10.
Blue-winged Teal:
A male blue-winged teal is shown above.
The blue-winged teal is one of the smallest and fastest-flying ducks in Minnesota. It also has very cool wing feather colors: mainly sky blue with a splash of aurora borealis teal. However, the blue-winged teal does migrate out of Minnesota in late September and early October, as it does not like cold weather. Overall a solid 7/10.
Mallard:
This picture was realized by Richard Bartz by using a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons
A female mallard is shown to the left, and a male mallard is shown to the right.
Mallard ducks are some of the most commonly spotted ducks in Minnesota. Male mallards sport a gray and brown body with a shiny emerald green head. One fun fact about mallards is that they hold their tails out of the water so that they can more quickly fly away if need be. Overall rating: 6/10
The above examples are only six examples of the incredible diversity of ducks native to Minnesota! Hopefully, you were able to learn something interesting that you didn’t know before about Minnesotan ducks or even learn about a new species of duck that you didn’t know existed!
Information References:
Ducks Unlimited. “Gadwall | Ducks Unlimited.” Www.ducks.org, 2023, http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/gadwall.
Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas. “Northern Pintail : Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas.” Mnbirdatlas.org, 2023, mnbirdatlas.org/species/northern-pintail/#:~:text=Minnesota%20Seasonal%20Status%3A. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.
MN DNR. “Blue-Winged Teal.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2023, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/bluewingedteal.html#:~:text=This%20is%20a%20small%2C%20fast. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.
—. “Canvasback.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2023, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/canvasback.html. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.
—. “Mallard.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2023, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/mallard.html.
—. “Minnesota DNR – MN Department of Natural Resources.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2023, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/woodduck.html.
—. “Waterfowl in Minnesota.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2023, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wildlife/waterfowl/waterfowl-minnesota.html.
Photo Credits:
Ducks Unlimited. “Gadwall | Ducks Unlimited.” Www.ducks.org, 2023, http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowl-id/gadwall.
Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas. “Northern Pintail : Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas.” Mnbirdatlas.org, 2023, mnbirdatlas.org/species/northern-pintail/#:~:text=Minnesota%20Seasonal%20Status%3A. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.
MN DNR. “Blue-Winged Teal.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2023, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/bluewingedteal.html#:~:text=This%20is%20a%20small%2C%20fast. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.
MN DNR. “Minnesota DNR – MN Department of Natural Resources.” Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2023, http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/woodduck.html.
Saint Louis Zoo. “Canvasback.” Saint Louis Zoo, 2023, stlzoo.org/animals/birds/waterfowl/canvasback. Accessed 15 Dec. 2023.
Writing it Out 