Redhead

Description: The redhead resembles the canvasback, although the redhead is smaller with a rounder head and a shorter bill. The drake has a red head, a black chest and rump, and a light gray back and sides. The bill is tri-colored: blue-gray and white with a black tip. The hen has a reddish-brown head, neck, and chest, with a white belly and a brown body. Hens have a dull gray bill with a black tip. Both hens and drakes have gray legs and feet. Drakes are larger than hens. Average size: 18-22 inches. Average weight: 1 ½ -3 pounds.

Science: Redheads breed primarily in the prairie pothole region and around the Great Lakes, though they are also found in Alaska and Minnesota. They prefer prairie marshes and freshwater bodies of water with emergent vegetation. They begin migrating in September, often forming flocks with other divers, and winter throughout most of the south, in the Ozarks, along the Atlantic coast, in most western states, and in most of Mexico. They may be found on lakes and reservoirs and in coastal bays. Their population is increasing.

Hunting: Redheads decoy well on diver decoy spreads and specific redhead decoys are available. The eating quality is excellent: the taste is usually milder than that of other divers.