 |
| Fact Sheet |
| Scientific Name |
Aythya americana |
| Wing spread |
33 inches |
| Body length |
20 inches |
| Weight |
2.4 pounds |
| Description |
The redhead is a large duck. Males have a large round reddish head, gray back and black tail. Females are a nondescript tawny brown. Both sexes have a gray bill with a white band toward the tip, dark grayish brown wing and a dull pearl gray speculum. |
| Nesting Habitat |
Most redheads nest over water in dense stands of emergent vegetation. |
| Clutch size |
10 eggs |
| Incubation period |
24 days |
| Status in North Dakota |
Redheads are common during migration and nesting seasons in North Dakota. |
| Food habits |
Redheads feed primarily on aquatic plant seeds, tubers and leaves. |
| Fun Facts |
Redheads are considered semi-parasitic nesters, with some hens laying eggs in the nests of other species of ducks and then may or may not incubate a clutch of their own. |
