Click to Enlarge Listen to Captions (64 KB) Hooded mergansers (right) have heavy bodies that help them dive below the water’s surface. Powerful webbed feet propel them though the water and toward their lunch—fish.   Just Ducky Field ID by Bonnie Chasteen, photos by Jim Rathert, illustrations from Birds in Missouri Listen to "Just Ducky Field ID " (1.2 MB) Fall is a great time to learn about ducks. That’s because so many different kinds of them come to Missouri between August and December. Some stay just long enough to grab a bite to eat on their way south, and some spend the whole winter with us. Whether they stay or go, all rest, eat and refuel in Missouri’s wonderful wetlands. In fact, you can think of Missouri’s wetlands as giant “duck stops” along the great Mississippi flyway. Why not get outside and learn to identify ducks while they’re here this fall? It’s fun, and it beats sitting indoors. Dabblers and Divers “Dabbler” and “diver” describe the ways ducks eat. How they eat is a good way to identify which kind of duck is which. Dabblers dabble and tip forward in shallow water in search of seeds and insects. Divers dive for plants, insects, clams and snails in deeper water. Bottoms up!     Dabblers, like this mallard, turn their tails up and dip their heads down to find seeds near the shore. From the shallow water, they use their bills to sift out insects to eat. Now you see me, now you don’t!     Divers, like this scaup, dive completely under the water to forage for plants, clams and insects living in deeper water. When a diver pops out of sight, it’s fun to try and guess where it will pop up again. How they land and take off   Because they they have large wings in proportion to their bodies, dabblers can land and take off like a helicopter, by moving straight up or down. Dabblers, like this wood duck (left photo), drop gently into a flooded forest or marshland, hardly making a splash when they hit the water. To take flight, they jump straight up into the air. Divers, with their smaller wings, need a runway to come in for a landing or to take off. They slide onto a lake or river with a long splashing glide. To take flight, this male ring-necked duck (right photo) must run and flap its wings until it gains enough speed to lift off. How they float   Dabblers, such as this pair of wood ducks (left photo), ride high on the water with their tail feathers up. Divers, such as the pair of ring-necked ducks (right photo), are low-riders, sitting with their tail feathers under water. Where their feet are located   Dabblers’ feet are near the middle of their body, which makes them more stable when they stand in shallow water or walk on shore. Divers’ feet are further back, which makes them more streamlined when they dive. Duck Hangouts To find out where the ducks are from October though January, go to www.missouriconservation.org/hunt/wtrfowl/ and click on “Duck Numbers and Habitat Conditions.” You will be able to find out how many ducks there are around the state. For directions to conservation areas, click on “Online Atlas” at the bottom of the page and type in the name of the area you want to visit. The Dabblers Listen to "The Dabblers " (780 KB) Look for them in shallow, sheltered water, such as farm ponds, marshes and oxbows. Also look on the wing for a bright, iridescent patch, called a speculum. If you see one, it's a dabbler. Mallards Northern Pintails Wood Ducks American Wigeons Green-winged Teals Northern Shovelers Mallards Female: brownish body with darker markings orange bill blue speculum Male gray body green head chestnut breast white-bordered blue speculum Northern Pintails Female brownish body solid gray bill bronze speculum Male gray body long, curved, brown neck narrow white streak from the breast to eye level white breast Wood Ducks Female blue speculum Male white streaks on head and body bright feathers on head and body American Wigeons Female gray bill and head dark eyespot rusty sides grayish patch on the wing Male gray head white forehead rusty brown breast and sides green band from the eye down the back of the neck Green-winged Teals Female brown body small bill dark eyeline green speculum Male gray body rusty head green band from eye to back of neck tan breast white stripe that appears vertical when bird is swimming Northern Shovelers Female brown body blue wing patch Male green head long, wide, flat, spoon-shaped bill chestnut sides light blue upper wing patch In the fall, the male has similar coloring to the female The Divers Listen to "The Divers " (644 KB) Look for them in deep, open water, such as big rivers and lakes. Canvasbacks Buffleheads Common Goldeneyes Ring-necked Ducks Ruddy Ducks Common Mergansers Canvasbacks Female medium brown head whitish line behind eye Male chestnut-red head long, sloping bill black chest white body black rump Buffleheads Female brown body white, oval cheek patch Male puffy black head white patch behind eye black back Common Goldeneyes Female gray body brown head dark bill with yellow near tip white collar Male dark head and back white oval spot on check white sides and breast Ring-necked Ducks Female dark brown body white eye ring light brown sides Male dark head and body gray bill with a white ring next to the black tip white stripe between the sides and breast gray sides gray wing stripe Ruddy Ducks Female brownish body dark line through the dingy white cheek Male dark cinnamon body black head blue bill white cheek patch In the winter, the male has a lighter-colored body and a dark gray bill. Common Mergansers Female gray body rusty head white neck Male mostly white body green head red bill with a wide base black and gray back