Our UK ducks are beautiful, distinctive birds. Although there aren’t many species of ducks in the UK, they are on many birder’s lists to spot in their natural habitat. So to help you with your duck identification goals, we’ve put together a definitive list of UK ducks. Paired with identifying features and tips on where you can find them, here’s our UK duck identification guide.

How Many Types of Ducks Are There In The UK?

There are 162 species of ducks around the world[i], and you can find 22 of these duck species in the UK[ii]. Although most UK ducks are native, some, such as Canada geese and mandarin ducks, have been introduced into the country.

Our UK Ducks Identification Guide

The UK is home to a diverse selection of ducks, with many of the most interesting-looking birds surprisingly native. Here are all 22 species of UK ducks and how you can identify them on your travels.

Egyptian Goose

Scientific Name: Alpochen Aegyptiaca

Conservation Status: Introduced

Population: 1,100 breeding pairs

The Egyptian Goose was initially introduced as an ornamental wildfowl species but has escaped into the wild. This has allowed this goose to successfully breed around the country, although you can commonly see them on ornamental ponds close to their original habitat. The Egyptian Goose is a grey and pale brown bird with dark brown patches around its eyes and white wing patches visible during flight.

Shelduck

Scientific Name: Tadorna Tadorna

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 15,000 breeding pairs

Distantly related to the Egyptian Goose, the Shelduck is a native bird that prefers a coastal habitat. The Shelduck is a distinctive bird with a red bill, glossy green head and black, white and brown feathers. They also have a dark band around the chest, which helps distinguish them from other UK ducks.

Mallard

Scientific Name: Anas Platyrhynchos

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 61,000 – 146,000 breeding pairs

Mallards are one of the most common UK ducks, so you can see them just about anywhere – chances are you’ve seen plenty of them already! Male mallards have the classic dark green head, yellow bill, brown breast and grey wing feathers. The females are mostly mottled brown, often with small streaks of blue, with an orange beak.

Wigeon

Scientific Name: Anas Penelope

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 400 breeding pairs

The wigeon is a distinctive bird, particularly the males with a chestnut head, grey-brown body and pink breast. Female wigeons are similar in appearance to female mallards, with brown-grey bodies and a white belly. Wigeons are not as widespread as other UK ducks and usually breed in Scotland and North England, although we have large numbers of wintering wigeons.

Shoveler

Scientific Name: Anas Clypeata

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 700 breeding pairs

You can distinguish shovelers by their long, spatulate beaks, which these surface feeders use to catch their food. Male shovelers have dark green heads, white breasts, black wingtips and brown flanks, whereas females are mottled brown. Shovelers mainly breed in wetlands in the South and East of England.

Pintail

Scientific Name: Anas acuta

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 9 – 33 breeding pairs

Named for its tapering tail, the pintail duck is a long-necked bird that flies with distinctive pointed wings. Male pintails have brown heads and grey bodies with black tails, and females are mottled brown with a lighter coloured head. Pintails prefer estuaries and sheltered coasts.

Gadwall

Scientific Name: Anas Strepera

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 1,200 summer breeding pairs

Gadwalls are dabbling ducks a little smaller than mallards, notable for their glaring black rear. Although gadwalls look mostly grey, closer inspection shows that their feathers are speckled and barred. During flight, gadwalls have a white wing patch. You can spot gadwalls all across the country, though they are most common in the Midlands and South East of England.

Teal

Scientific Name: Anas Crecca

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 2,100 breeding pairs

Teals are relatively small dabbling ducks, and males are easily recognisable by their brown-coloured heads, green eye patches and yellow detailing. They also have a yellow tail edged with black, a spotted chest and grey flanks. Both males and mottled brown females show green wing patches during flight. Teals prefer coastal and inland wetlands, particularly during winter.

Garganey

Scientific Name: Anas querquedula

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 14 – 93 breeding pairs

Garganey is one of the most secretive UK ducks, and they are only a little bigger than teals. Males have a broad white stripe above the eye, blue-black wing feathers and brown bodies with grey flanks. Females are mottled brown and white with a black line across the eye. You can sometimes spot garganeys in shallow wetlands.

Tufted Duck

Scientific Name: Aythya Fuligula

Conservation Status: Green

Population: 16,000 – 19,000 breeding pairs

Tufted ducks are small diving ducks with males distinguished by their completely black bodies save for their white striped wings. Females are deep brown, with lighter coloured flanks. Both have yellow eyes and small crests. Tufted ducks breed all across the UK but are not as common in Wales.

Pochard

Scientific Name: Aythya Ferina

Conservation Status: Red

Population: 681 breeding pairs

Male pochards are unique ducks because, during winter, they have a bright red head, black tail and breast and a white-grey body. However, when ducks grow new feathers (‘eclipse’) the males look similar to the females, primarily brown with a grey body and paler cheeks. Pochards are easier to see in winter on large lakes.

Red-crested Pochard

Scientific Name: Netta Rufina

Conservation Status: Introduced

Population: 10 – 21 breeding pairs

Widespread in Spain, the UK’s red-crested pochard breeding population comes from escaped birds. Red-crested pochards are larger than regular pochards, and males have an orangey-brown head, black breast, red beak and white flanks. Females are almost identical to regular pochards. In flight, you can see their white primaries. Breeding populations of red-crested pochards are in southern and eastern England.

Scaup

Scientific Name: Aythya Marila

Conservation Status: Red

Population: 1 – 2 breeding pairs

Scaups share similarities with tufted ducks but are not as common. They are the rarest breeding UK ducks since not many breed each year. Males have black-green heads and bodies with white flanks and grey backs, while females are brown with distinctive white patches around the bill.

Mandarin

Scientific Name: Aix Galericulata

Conservation Status: Introduced

Population: 2,300 breeding pairs

Mandarin ducks were introduced to our shores from China and managed to breed after escaping captivity. Males have ornate orange plumage with long feathers on their face, curved orange feathers on the back and paler-coloured flanks. Females have mottled sides with a brown back, grey head and white striped across the eye.

Goosander

Scientific Name: Mergus Merganser

Conservation Status: Green

Population: 3,100 – 3,800 breeding pairs

Goosanders are diving ducks greatly reminiscent of mallards, most recognisable for their long, serrated beaks. Males have a bright green head, contrasting red bill, white body, and black back and wing tips. On the other hand, females have a rusty brown head with a red beak, plus a black and grey body and wings.

Red-breasted Merganser

Scientific Name: Mergus serrator

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 2,800 breeding pairs

With looks remarkably similar to the Goosander, the red-breasted merganser has a similar serrated bill to catch fish. Males are similar to the Goosander save for their shaggy green heads and mottled brown breast. Females are almost identical to Goosanders, except for their similarly shaggy brown heads.

Smew

Scientific Name: Mergus albellus

Conservation Status: Red

Population: 180 wintering birds

Smews are small, delicate ducks with compact bills. The male is white with a black back, mask and wingtips, and the females have a brown back, white neck and red face. In flight, the smews show black and white birds. These birds are winter visitors to the UK, and you can usually spot them in the South.

Long-tailed Duck

Scientific Name: Clangula Hyemalis

Conservation Status: Red

Population: 11,000 wintering birds

The long-tailed duck gets its name from the male’s elongated black tail feathers, which stretch from a white body with brown-black markings across the feathers. They also have small round heads and large foreheads. Females look incredibly similar, only they are brown and do not have long tail feathers.

Eider

Scientific Name: Somateria Mollissima

Conservation Status: Amber

Population: 26,000 breeding pairs

The eider is the heaviest of our UK ducks, yet it is the fastest flying. Males have primarily black and white bodies and heads, with a pale pink breast. Females are mottled brown. Both have long, thin beaks to retrieve shellfish, and you can spot these marine birds on coasts all around the UK.

Common Scoter

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Hannu Hirvonen (@hanhir) 

Scientific Name: Melanitta Nigra

Conservation Status: Red

Population: 52 breeding pairs

Common scoters are dark seabirds. Males are completely black with an orange beak while the females are a lighter shade with a pale grey face. Winter populations of common scoters are vulnerable to oil spills, and these small diving ducks are now a Red List species.

Velvet Scoter

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rick Dekker (@birdingphotos)

Scientific Name: Melanitta Fusca

Conservation Status: Red

Population: 2,500 wintering birds

Like its common counterpart, the Velvet scoter is a black sea duck. Males are completely black except for a white stripe across the eye, an orange bill and a pointed tail. Females are brown with white cheeks. In flight, white patches are visible on the back of the wing. Velvet scoters are only winter visitors to England but arrive in large flocks on the east coast.

Goldeneye

Scientific Name: Bucephala Clangula

Conservation Status: Red

Population: 200 breeding pairs

The Goldeneye’s name comes from its bright yellow eyes. Males have black and white bodies with green-black heads and a white patch by the beak. Although females are smaller with mottled grey bodies and brown heads, both have startling yellow eyes. You can get specially designed boxes for Goldeneye ducks to nest in, as long as they are hung close to water.

How To Help UK Ducks

Unfortunately, some UK ducks are under threat. This is mostly due to predators and habitat destruction, leaving 25% of duck species considered vulnerable. However, there are ways you can help our ducks!

1. Offer Healthy Food – Bread is actually bad for ducks since it gives little nutrition[iii], so leave out more healthy options to take care of your local ducks. Duck food, sweetcorn and oats are all great options.
2. Control Predators – Whether you’re stopping cats killing birds in your garden or protecting ducks at your local pond, take steps to control invasive predators to keep ducks safe during nesting and feeding.
3. Pick Up Stray Fishing Lines – Tangles of fishing line are deadly to waterfowl. Ducks and ducklings can get caught in the line, leading to injuries, infections or worse. Pick up any stray fishing line you spot to protect passing ducks.
4. Join Bird Conservation Groups – Bird conservations groups, such as Ducks Unlimited, are dedicated to preserving habitats and encouraging research to help ducks and other waterfowl in the wild.

Protecting UK Ducks

Ducks greatly benefit our ecosystem since they increase biodiversity and provide pest control. So protecting our UK ducks is vital to the future of these beautiful birds, and with our duck identification guide, we’re sure you’ll have no problems giving local waterfowl a helping hand!

Have you spotted any interesting UK ducks? Let us know your duck identification experiences!

Sources

  [i] https://www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/bird-families/waterfowl

[ii] https://www.birdspot.co.uk/identifying-birds/types-of-ducks

[iii] https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-wildlife/keeping-our-ducks-healthy/why-is-bread-bad-for-ducks