Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations WHAT KIND OF DUCKS?

HELLO TO ALL, I LIVE IN CINCINNATI OHIO AND HAVE A 3ACRE LAKE. I RECENTLY NOTICED FOUR SMALL DUCKS IN MY LAKE. TWO ARE DARK IN COLOR AND THE OTHER TWO LOOK TO BE BLACK AND WHITE. THEY ARE ALL VERY SMALL IN SIZE. FROM A DISTANCE YOU WOULD'NT EVEN KNOW THEY WERE DUCKS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF DUCK IN THIS AREA. ONE OTHER CONCERN, THE DUCKS WILL DIVE UNDER THE WATER FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND THEN RE-EMERGE. I DON'T KNOW IF THEIR DIVING DOWN IN SEARCH OF MINOWS OR IF THEIR JUST SWIMMING UNDER WATER. I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CRAZY BUT IF ANY ONE HAS ANY IDEA WHAT TYPE OF DUCKS THESE ARE AND ARE THEY EATING FISH.HELP!HELP!HELP! ANY INPUT WOULD BE GREAT.. THANKS TO ALL AND GOOD FISHING...lANCE.

Hard to tell for sure, but the small black & white ones could be Buffleheads. Check the site below for photos of different types of ducks and notes on their diet, range, et cetera.

http://www.duckcentral.com/species.html

Some diver ducks can have an impact on fish population. Arkansas minnow farmers have a real problem with them.

Thanks Mike, I do believe that is the duck. In your opinion do you see them as a problem. They seem to be busy little guys, ducking down and popping up in other areas. Thanks for the info Mike...

Lance, I'm not really sure about the impact of Buffleheads in particular on fish populations. Everything that I have read indicates that Buffleheads typically eat aquatic insects, snails, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Maybe someone else has experience with this.

If the head is white it could be a hooded merganser. THey also eat fish, but not sure if just 4 could do much damage. I know they decoy well when hunting them but are not fit to eat since they are fish eaters same with bufflehead.

I had six of those ducks on my pond today when I got home. They dove under water for about 15-20 seconds also. I was also curious as to the species. They are neat looking. As small as they are I don't think they could do much damage on my 1 ac. pond. I would like to know what they are though. Covington, OH

Most wild ducks have a small amount of fish in their diet, nothing to worry about. The ducks that you are seeing are probably Lesser Scaup. At a distance the only colors that you are able to see are black and white and they are divers, which would account for their extended dives.

Even if they are mergansers, which have a diet primarily made up of fish, they won't stay long enough to cause any real damage. Enjoy them while they are there. I raise Migratory waterfowl here in Texas and have little visitors, like your (probable) lesser scaup all the time. Consider it a cool visit from a distant traveler.

Thanks, Newbee

Lance, I just talked with my brother and pulled out some close up pics I took of the same ducks last year. The ducks that I have on my pond are called Barrow's Goldeneye. It says that they are rare east of the Rockies, but I know this is what is sitting on my pond.

It is almost a sure bet they are ducks, since they are ducking under the water.

;-)

I've seen 2 pair (or maybe the same pair a couple months apart) of what appear to be Bufflehead but could possibly be Hooded Merganser, they're quite small, dive completely underwater, and are quite entertaining to watch. They're especially tiny compared to the 4-6 Mallards that live year-round on the pond, one of those drakes literally is the size of a Canadian Goose! Biggest damn duck I've ever seen.

The very large "Mallard" you see is probably a Rouen, a domestic derivative of the wild Mallard. Adult males are normally in the 7 - 9 pound range.By the way, the plural of Canada Geese is Canadas I know it sounds funny but that's the way it is.

Lance - Lots of possibilities of names for the two small dark ducks. If they are quite a bit smaller than the blk& white ducks check out pied-billed grebe. Grebes are common in OH duing spring migration. However they usually travel single.

As Newbee says the black and whites are most likely lesser scaups who are divers and common here during spring stop-overs. The darker ones could be the females; you probably have two pair. Scaups often travel in small or medium sized groups. I will have those same species of duck in northern OH in a week or two. Get them every spring just after ice out.

FYI: It's Canada goose singular, Canada geese plural. Canadas is vernacular or local slang.

Bill, you are absolutely right - in any event they are never Canadians unless they are residents north of the border who have learned to fly

I put Canandian geese on an answer to a wing id quiz, and got it wrong. Yes Canada gesse is the correct term! I call 'em Canadas right before we bust 'em out of the sky.