# Duck ID help



## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

Was out this weekend and came across some ducks I couldn't identify. I'm normally pretty good about it but I was confused. From a far all you could see was black. When they put wings up or showed under bodies they were brilliant white on the bottom. Had white on the back edge of the wings. I thought they were scaup, except I couldn't see any white while floating. To further complicate things they had bills that looked more like mergs but light in color. Through binocs they appeared to be really dark mallard looking birds, but then they started diving. They acted like true divers, not just birds fooling around. No idea if I was looking at a mix group of birds traveling together or what.


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## grul722 (Nov 12, 2008)

I am not the best at identifying ducks, especially divers, but take a look at the link below. They have several diver ducks listed and you might be able to find a picture that matches the ducks you were looking at. 

http://www.ducks.org/hunting/waterfowlgallery.aspx


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

how big where they? What you describing can only be one of two things this time of the year in my book, Some early Ringnecks( saw some today about 40 of them) but more then likely Double Crest Cormorant. The juve ones will be pretty light under the wings compared to the rest of them. They will also look more brown then Black when they are young.

Juve Double Crest Cormorant








Juve Ringneck









Now if it was super small that opens it up even more but I am guessing by what you said it was the size of your avg puddle ducks.


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

It was a hen with nearly grown chicks. The larger looked like a darkly colored mallard. I was toying with the idea of ring necks but had never seen one. Perhaps that is what they were. Scaup were the first ones I think, and I saw a bunch of teal and woodies to boot! Interesting. Guess I need to brush up on my ducks.


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

Could have been a black duck with young, and blue on the wings?
this is a juve black









I know you said it was driving but there is a lot ducks that look like this around right now also


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## AR34 (Jun 18, 2008)

sounds like a Grebe duck. fed. protected endangered. did they have a snake looking neck and head?
dont normaly see them flying, just swimming and diving.


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## AR34 (Jun 18, 2008)

pic of what they look like from afar. note the head neck look funny


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

definitely not a cormorant or a grebe. had a normal "duck" body with a long hooked beak. Definitely a natural diver, keeping its head underwater looking for fish similar to how loons fish. If not for the beak and diving I would guess black duck


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

JBooth said:


> ...normal "duck" body with a long hooked beak....


Hmmm...the plot thickens. A long hooked beak? I'm guessing something other than a duck with that description. Many diver duck beaks are short and stubby. Mergansers do have long beaks, but they aren't hooked. 

Take a look at the attached link to the USFW's "ducks at a distance" guide, then see what you think. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/duckdist/index.htm


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## thedude (Jul 20, 2004)

hooded mergs are pretty common in MI.



















they are about the size of a wood duck.


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

i was thinking hooded also..


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

thedude said:


> hooded mergs are pretty common in MI.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



maybe


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

Probably most likely a hooded, but it could be a white wing scoter I guess. The under bodies wouldn't be white, but the undersides of their wings would be. Can't see much white on their wings when they are swimming around, but def. have the white band he was describing. It would account for the goofy beak too. The problem is, they wouldn't be in pronounced plumage at all- so its tough to say. Whitefish point has been counting them on the migration for quite some time- so it is possible they would be there.

If not a WWS, my vote is COOT!:lol:


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

I think a ms hooded and her brood takes it. I've only ever seen the male


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