Duck Species List

Ducks are familiar and widespread birds that can be found in nearly every river, lake, pond, and even ocean in the world, missing only from Antarctica. While most ducks share many characteristics and they are all members of the Anatidae bird family, the exact number of species varies depending on how each bird is classified. How many wild duck species have you seen?

Why Ducks Can Be Confusing

There are many different types of ducks, and the geese and swans in the same family are closely related, hence the confusion and variation when classifying waterfowl. Even more confusion sets in with these birds' common names, many of which are called "geese" while genetically they are actually ducks. Furthermore, in different parts of their range, the same duck species may be referred to by several different common names. This makes learning bird scientific names a good idea for any birder interested in these wacky waterfowl.

A Note About Domestic Ducks

Further creating confusion with duck species are domestic ducks raised for meat, eggs, or simply their exotic flair, though they are not considered independent duck species. In addition to the wild duck species that are officially recognized by birders and ornithologists, there are dozens of domestic duck breeds that might appear in urban or suburban areas, such as:

• Aylesbury ducks
• Bali ducks
• Blue Swedish ducks
• Indian runner ducks
• Magpie ducks
• Muscovy ducks (domestic stock)
• Pekin ducks
• Saxony ducks

Many ducks hybridize easily and when domestic escapees or Easter ducklings are introduced to wild populations (an irresponsible act), exact species bloodlines get even more confusing. Birders can keep track of the duck species they see, however, and the list below can help you determine just how many pure ducks you have added to your life list.

A-Z Duck Species Sorted by Common Name

* - Considered threatened or vulnerable due to population decreases and growing survival threats
** - Listed as endangered and in critical danger of extinction if conservation is not implemented (Classifications by BirdLife International)

• African Black Duck (Anas sparsa)
• African Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus auritus)
• American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
• American White-Winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi)
• American Wigeon (Anas americana)
• Andean Teal (Anas andium)
• Asian White-Winged Scoter (Melanitta stejnegeri)
• *Auckland Islands Teal (Anas aucklandica)
• Australasian Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis)
• Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides)
• Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)
• **Baer's Pochard (Aythya baeri)
• Baikal Teal (Anas formosa)
• Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica)
• *Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)
• Black-Bellied Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
• Black-Headed Duck (Heteronetta atricapilla)
• **Blue Duck (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos)
• *Blue-Billed Duck (Oxyura australis)
• *Blue-Winged Goose (Cyanochen cyanoptera)
• Blue-Winged Teal (Anas discors)
• **Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus)
• Brazilian Teal (Amazonetta brasiliensis)
• **Brown Teal (Anas chlorotis)
• Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
• **Campbell Islands Teal (Anas nesiotis)
• Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
• Cape Shoveler (Anas smithii)
• Cape Teal (Anas capensis)
• Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)
• Chiloe Wigeon (Anas sibilatrix)
• Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)
• Comb Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)
• Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)
• Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
• Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)
• Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)
• Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra)
• Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
• Common Teal (Anas crecca)
• Cotton Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)
• Crested Duck (Lophonetta specularioides)
• **Crested Shelduck (Tadorna cristata)
• Eastern Spot-Billed Duck (Anas zonorhyncha)
• *Eaton's Pintail (Anas eatoni)
• Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
• Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope)
• *Falcated Duck (Anas falcata)
• Falkland Steamerduck (Tachyeres brachypterus)
• *Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca)
• Flightless Steamerduck (Tachyeres pteneres)
• Flying Steamerduck (Tachyeres patachonicus)
• Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa)
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)
• Gadwall (Anas strepera)
• Garganey (Anas querquedula)
• Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
• Green Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus pulchellus)
• Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)
• Hardhead (Aythya australis)
• Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus)
• Hartlaub's Duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii)
• **Hawaiian Duck (Anas wyvilliana)
• Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
• Hottentot Teal (Anas hottentota)
• Kelp Goose (Chloephaga hybrida)
• King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)
• Lake Duck (Oxyura vittata)
• **Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis)
• Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
• Lesser Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)
• *Long-Tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)
• *Maccoa Duck (Oxyura maccoa)
• **Madagascar Pochard (Aythya innotata)
• **Madagascar Teal (Anas bernieri)
• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
• Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata)
• *Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta angustirostris)
• Masked Duck (Nomonyx dominicus)
• **Meller's Duck (Anas melleri)
• Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)
• Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)
• Musk Duck (Biziura lobata)
• New Zealand Scaup (Aythya novaeseelandiae)
• Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
• Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
• *Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata)
• Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)
• Paradise Shelduck (Tadorna variegata)
• *Philippine Duck (Anas luzonica)
• Pink-Eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)
• **Pink-Headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea)
• Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)
• Puna Teal (Anas puna)
• Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah)
• Red Shoveler (Anas platalea)
• Red-Billed Duck (Anas erythrorhyncha)
• Red-Breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
• Red-Crested Pochard (Netta rufina)
• Redhead (Aythya americana)
• Ring-Necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
• Ringed Teal (Callonetta leucophrys)
• Rosy-Billed Pochard (Netta peposaca)
• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
• Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)
• *Salvadori's Teal (Salvadorina waigiuensis)
• **Scaly-Sided Merganser (Mergus squamatus)
• Silver Teal (Anas versicolor)
• Smew (Mergellus albellus)
• South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana)
• Southern Pochard (Netta erythrophthalma)
• *Spectacled Duck (Speculanas specularis)
• Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri)
• Spotted Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna guttata)
• *Steller's Eider (Polysticta stelleri)
• Sunda Teal (Anas gibberifrons)
• Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
• Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata)
• Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)
• **Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca)
• Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)
• *West Indian Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arborea)
• Western Spot-Billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha)
• White-Backed Duck (Thalassornis leuconotus)
• White-Cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis)
• White-Faced Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna viduata)
• **White-Headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala)
• *White-Headed Steamerduck (Tachyeres leucocephalus)
• **White-Winged Duck (Cairina scutulata)
• Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
• Yellow-Billed Duck (Anas undulata)
• Yellow-Billed Pintail (Anas georgica)
• Yellow-Billed Teal (Anas flavirostris)