Canvasback

Description: Sometimes mistaken for the redhead, the canvasback is a large diver. The drake has a red head with a flat profile and a forehead sloping down to a long black bill. It has a black chest, tail, and rump, with white sides, back, and belly. The hen is grayish-brown overall with a lighter-colored head than the drake. Both drakes and hens have black bills and blue-gray feet. Drakes are slightly larger than hens. Average size: 18-22 inches. Average weight: 2-3½ pounds.

Science: Canvasbacks breed from western Alaska down through western Canada and into the central northern United States. As they prefer prairie marshes, large concentrations form in the prairie pothole region. They begin their migration in September, using large lakes and rivers for extended stopovers. They winter on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, along the Gulf states, and into Mexico. They may be found on large lakes and in coastal bays. Canvasbacks strongly prefer to eat wild celery, though due to the decline of this plant, they’ll also eat sago pondweed, arrowhead root, and bulrush seeds, as well as mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. They flock and raft in the hundreds. The population is stable but still low compared to the long-term average. Conservation and wild celery rehabilitation programs have helped restore their numbers.

Hunting: Because of their sensitive population, many states have limited bag restrictions. As canvasbacks are a very fast bird, they can be difficult to pass-shoot, but will decoy into a spread of diver decoys. Specific canvasback decoys exist. While they are not particularly vocal, they will respond to the calls of other divers. The eating quality can be very good: the taste is mild.