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35 Breeds of Ducks in Maine (With Pictures)
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Ducks are a type of waterfowl that can be found in many countries all over the world. There are even ducks found in the cold northern state, Maine. Although there aren’t as many ducks in Maine as there are in some of the warmer states, there are still plenty of ducks in Maine.
If you are interested in learning about the different types of ducks you can see in Maine, you have come to the right place. In this article, we provide overviews of the 34 duck types that can be found in that state. Let’s get started!
Complete List of Ducks in Maine
Maine is home to about 34 types of ducks, but certain breeds are more common than others. Below, you will find an overview of each one of these breeds.
The 35 Common Types of Ducks Found in Maine
1. Wood Duck
Image Credit: wam17, Pixabay
The wood duck is one of the most common ducks in Maine. It is sometimes called the carolina duck, but it can be found all around North America. It is considered one of the most colorful North American waterfowls, and it belongs to the perching category of ducks.
2. Blue-Winged Teal
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The blue-winged teal is relatively common in Maine. It is a small dabbling duck that can be found all over North America. In fact, it can be found as far up as Alaska and as low as Texas. As a result, these birds are easy to find in Maine.
3. Green-Winged Teal
Image Credit: Paul Reeves Photography, Shutterstock
The green-winged Teal is like the blue-winged variety. The biggest difference is that the green-winged teal has more of a teal and grey coloration than the blue-winged one. It can be found all throughout the northern areas of North America, making it a common duck in Maine.
4. Mallard
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The mallard duck is one of the most common dabbling ducks all around North America. When most Americans think of ducks, it is the mallard that comes to their mind. Thus, you don’t have to look too hard to find a Mallard in Maine.
5. American Black Duck
Image Credit: Paul Reeves Photography, Shutterstock
The American black duck is very common in Maine. It can be found all around the eastern North American continent. As its name suggests, this dabbling duck is primarily black, but it is very large too. It is even the heaviest species within its genus.
6. Northern Shoveler
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The northern shoveler, sometimes just called shoveler, is a common duck found all over the world. It can be found all around North America and Europe. It can even be found in Southeast Asia and India. In Maine, this duck is common.
7. Gadwall
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The gadwall is another common duck found all around the globe. It is considered a dabbling duck and is easy to recognize because of its primarily grey color with bright orange feet.
8. Ruddy Duck
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The ruddy duck can be found all over North America. It is a stiff-tailed duck that is small and compact. You’re most likely to find these ducks during the summertime, and they will migrate further south during the winter.
9. Ring-Necked Duck
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Another diving duck is the Ring-Necked Duck. This duck is famous because it has been mentioned by a variety of authors, including Aristotle. It is incredibly common in North America and is most often found in freshwater ponds and lakes.
10. Eurasian Wigeon
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The Eurasian wigeon is a type of dabbling duck that is very common around the globe. It isn’t as common as the American wigeon in Maine, but it isn’t abnormal to spot either.
11. American Wigeon
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The American wigeon is the North American counterpart to the duck described above. Because this duck is more common in North America, you are more likely to find an American wigeon in Maine than a Eurasian wigeon, but it isn’t abnormal to find either.
12. Canvasback
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The Canvasback is a type of diving duck. It happens to be the largest in all North America and can be found in virtually every state, as well as parts of Canada and Central America. It has a canvas-like color, after which it is named.
13. Bufflehead
Image Credit: Harry Collins Photography, Shutterstock
The Bufflehead is a goofy-looking duck. As its name suggests, it has a very bulbous head, especially the males. It can be found all over North America, making it a common duck in Maine.
14. Common Goldeneye
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The common goldeneye is a type of sea duck. Much like the bufflehead, it has a bulbous head with a bright yellow eye, hence its name. It is not uncommon to see the common goldeneye in Maine.
15. Barrow’s Goldeneye
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The Barrow’s goldeneye is most closely related to the common goldeneye. It has a bulbous head. This goldeneye gets its name after Sir John Barrow.
16. Hooded Merganser
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The hooded merganser is a type of merganser, which is a small diving duck with a collapsible crest and thin bill. This funky-looking duck is relatively common in Maine, but it can be found as far down as Texas.
17. Common Merganser
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The common merganser isn’t as fun-looking as the hooded one, but it can be found in forested areas with a lot of rivers and lakes all around North America, Europe, and Asia.
Uncommon and Rare Ducks Breeds of Maine
18. Black-Bellied Whistling Duck
Image Credit: Dennis W Donohue, Shutterstock
The black-bellied whistling duck only migrates to Maine on occasion. In fact, it’s incredibly rare to find this breed in Maine since it prefers South America, Central America, and the southernmost United States. If you catch one of these ducks in Maine, you have seen a rare sight.
19. Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Image Credit: Julian Popov, Shutterstock
Much like black-bellied whistling-duck, the fulvous whistling-duck can only be found in Maine on occasion. It prefers Central and South America, though it is sometimes found in the southern United States too. Only occasionally will you be able to see this duck type in the state of Maine.
20. Garganey
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The garganey is a migratory species that can be found all around the world. As migratory species, it is incredibly small and is considered a dabbling duck. It is rare to find it in Maine, but it is possible.
21. Northern Pintail
Image Credit: Takashi_Yanagisawa, Pixabay
The northern pintail can be found virtually everywhere across the globe. It is not particularly common in Maine. Typically, you can only find northern pintails in this state whenever they are on their migratory routes.
22. Redhead
Image Credit: Tom Reichner, Shutterstock
The redhead is another type of diving duck. It has a unique appearance because its head is completely red, whereas the rest of its body is various shades of black, grey, and white. It isn’t incredibly common in Maine, but it isn’t rare either.
23. Greater Scaup
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Even though you might not recognize this name, you are likely familiar with the greater scaup. In America, most people refer to this duck as the bluebill. It typically flies and stays around Maine during the migration period, when its preferred northern locations are too cold in the winter.
The lesser scaup is smaller than the greater scaup and goes further South. The lesser scaup is much more common in Maine simply because it prefers slightly warmer temperatures than the greater scaup.
25. Harlequin Duck
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The harlequin duck is a sea duck with a bright and colorful appearance. It comes with a variety of names, including painted duck, totem duck, and even lords and ladies. This duck isn’t common in Maine, though.
26. Tufted Duck
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The tufted duck is one of the rarest diving ducks in Maine. It’s named “tufted” because it has a unique tuft on the back of its head. Much like the ring-necked duck, the tufted duck was mentioned by Aristotle in his writings.
27. Steller’s Eider
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If you catch a Steller’s eider in Maine, you have caught one rare sight. This duck is almost exclusively found in Arctic regions.
28. King Eider
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The king eider is bigger than the Steller’s eider and has a bit more color. The male breed of eider has an oblong head and bright orange bill, with black and white feathers. It is also rare in Maine simply because it prefers Arctic regions.
29. Common Eider
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The common eider isn’t as rare as the other eiders in Maine. Still, the common eider isn’t common in Maine. Males have mostly black and white feathers, and usually have gray bills. Females vary in color, from grayish to brownish.
30. Surf Scoter
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Surf scoters have a unique appearance. Males are almost completely black with some white patches around their heads. You will only find a surf scoter in Maine during the winter season after it migrates from northern Canada.
31. White-Winged Scoter
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The white-winged scoter is similar to the surf scoter. It is primarily found in Canada, but you can sometimes find one in Maine during the winter season.
32. Black Scoter
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There is way fewer black scoters than other scoter types. It can sometimes be found in Siberia and the coasts of Canada and Alaska. Only occasionally will you find a black scoter in Maine during the winter.
33. Long-Tailed Duck
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The long-tailed duck is a unique species because it has a long tail that swoops up. It is considered a threatened species and is only rarely found in Maine since its native regions are the northernmost of Canada and Siberia.
34. Red-Breasted Merganser
Image Credit: GregSabin, Pixabay
The red-breasted merganser has a unique look to it! It is a diving duck with feathers that come off its head. The red-breasted merganser will typically only be found in Maine during its migratory stage.
Finally, the last duck on our list is the labrador duck. This duck is last on our list because it is only a hypothetical breed that is believed to be extinct. Before its extinction in the 19th century, it was incredibly rare, which is why it is considered a hypothetical breed.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this list has informed you about the different types of ducks in Maine. Next time you go out, see if you can spot one of these ducks. Keep your eyes open for a rarer breed. It will be quite a sight!
Robert’s obsession with all things optical started early in life, when his optician father would bring home prototypes for Robert to play with. Nowadays, Robert is dedicated to helping others find the right optics for their needs. His hobbies include astronomy, astrophysics, and model building. Originally from Newark, NJ, he resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the nighttime skies are filled with glittering stars.
