Interesting Facts About the Redhead Duck
The redhead duck is very aptly named--can you guess why? The male in this species has a grey back, black chest and neck, blue bill, and a head fully encased in a beautiful shade of red. The females in this breed are not gifted with such a bold mix in colors, but they are still lovely with a brown head and body and blue bill. This species is a member of the diving family but they rarely stay together in flocks except for a huge gathering in the winter months. Throughout the rest of the year, most redhead ducks spend their time chilling out with other ducks in the diving family.
For the most part, the redhead duck likes to hang out around freshwater lakes, ponds, and wetlands, until they finally do have the huge "reunion" in the winter. During this time, thousands of this species will gather on inland lakes or on saltwater bays to wait out the chilly season. Nesting is a little iffy with the redhead duck. Why? Because this species of duck is known to have heavy parasitic tendencies when it comes to laying eggs. A parasitic breed is one that will go around laying its eggs in other ducks' nests. This isn't as uncommon as it sounds, but most species will at least lay their eggs in another nest of the same species, or at least in the nest of another duck. The redhead duck differs in that capacity because they will lay their eggs in the nest of an entirely different bird! Talk about copping out of parenting!
When the redhead female does actually nest her own eggs, she may lay anywhere from six to fourteen eggs, again, not counting those that she may lay in another bird's nest. Her nest will be built out of all sorts of vegetation and grass in a marshy area. She will use her feathers to create a cushy lining for the nest, and then she will lay her eggs. Incubation involves sitting on the eggs for about a month, but the male redhead usually doesn't stick around for this long. He will migrate up north to join his buddies on the lake where they will spend the winter. Once the female's eggs hatch, she will lead her ducklings to the water where they will enjoy a tasty meal. After about two months from the time they hatch, the ducklings will be ready to fly.
Although the redhead duck loves to chow down on invertebrate marine life in the summer, most of its diet is actually not fish based. For the most part, redheads enjoy eating aquatic plants, including the roots and seeds, as well as grasses, wild rice, and leaves. --Basically anything found in marshy areas or around lakes. When it boils down to it, animals only make up about ten percent of the redhead's overall diet.
Redhead ducks are found all over the world! Europe, Asia, parts of Madagascar, New Zealand, Australia, and North America are some of the most common places to find redheads. In the United States, the homeland of this breed of duck is around the north and northwest. Most of the substantial populations are found in California, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, Delaware, and many of the nearby states.
The redhead duck is not considered to be endangered, although studies are starting to rouse concern about their numbers. Compared to historical records, there simply aren't nearly as many redhead ducks being born in recent years as there used to be. Homeland patters have also changed. Areas that once used to be hot spots for this breed, such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana, and Ohio, now see very few redheads, whereas other areas have now seen an increase in redhead population where there used to be a minimal one.