Ducks of Kansas

Kansas is home to a surprising number of ducks, including some usually associated with coastal areas.

In this guide, you can find out more about the ducks of Kansas:

• Appearance.
• Best field marks.
• Voice.
• Distribution and occurrence.
• Behavior.
• Attracting them for viewing or hunting (when applicable).
• Distinguishing them from similar species.

Along the way, you may come across terms that are unfamiliar to you. You can look them up in our birdwatching glossary.

The birds are organized by taxonomical order (with the exception of whistling-ducks, which we have grouped with ducks for convenience). The sequence and scientific names used can be found in the “Kansas Ornithological Society Checklist of Kansas Birds.”

Are you ready to check more birds off of your life list? Follow the links below to get started.

Subfamily Dendrocygninae

Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)

Subfamily Anatinae

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

Garganey (Spatula querquedula)

Blue-Winged Teal (Spatula discors)

Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera)

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)

Gadwall (Mareca strepera)

Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope)

American Wigeon (Mareca americana)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)

Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula)

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Green-Winged Teal (Anas crecca)

Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)

Redhead (Aythya americana)

Ring-Necked Duck (Aythya collaris)

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)

Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)

King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)

Common Eider (Somateria mollissima)

Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus)

Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

White-Winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca)

Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra)

Long-Tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)