Redhead (Aythya americana) lives in freshwater wetlands across North America. It feeds on aquatic plants insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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The North American Waterfowl Management Plan counts 760,000 redheads, yet the species has swelled to well over 1.4 million birds. Holding about 2 % of North America's duck population but only 1 % of harvested ducks, the species benefits from strict bag limits and its reliance on semi-permanent wetlands that resist drought.
Redheads start their spring trek as early as late January, with the furthest north birds still on the move by late April. In the West they hit Oregon, British Columbia and Colorado by February, while central birds wait for thawed lakes, arriving from late February in Nebraska to early May in Alberta.
Young redhead females often lay their eggs in the nests of other pochards, a strategy called brood parasitism that can lower the host's hatching success, especially for canvasbacks. By dumping eggs into canvasback, ring-necked duck and scaup nests, redheads also spark hybrid offspring, some of which (canvasback × redhead) remain fertile.
During breeding, redheads gorge on animal prey, gastropods, mollusks and insect larvae, making up about 77 % of their diet. Once they head south, the menu flips to mostly plants like pondweeds, wild rice and bulrushes.
Sources
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In the shimmering expanse of North America's wetlands, the Redhead duck glides effortlessly, its striking crimson head a vibrant splash of color against the muted tones of its surroundings. As it paddles through the water, its webbed feet beat in a slow, rhythmic motion, leaving behind a trail of rippling waves that distort the reflections of the sky above. With its agile body and swift, decisive movements, the Redhead navigates its aquatic world with a quiet confidence, a true master of the marshes and ponds it calls home.
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