Redhead

Given by displaying males during courtship; rising nasal meow followed by a whistle.

North America: breeds primarily in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada and the northern U.S.; winters across the southern U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Breeds in prairie pothole marshes with emergent vegetation; winters on large lakes, coastal bays, estuaries, and reservoirs.

Breeding: May–July; migration peaks Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov; wintering Nov–Mar.

The Redhead is a medium-sized diving duck best known for the male’s rich cinnamon-red head and contrasting slate-gray back. It gathers in enormous flocks on large bodies of water during migration and winter and often mixes with other diving ducks. Redheads dive to feed but are also adept dabblers, tipping up in shallow marshes.