10 Brightly Colored Ducks: For a Pet or for The Pot?

Check this out and decide.

1. Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca)

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The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal looks spectacular with its beautiful coloration. This pretty duck breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. Its common name was derived from its blue-green color teal. It is the smallest dabbling duck which grows to a length of 13 to 17 inches only and has an average weight of 360 grams only.

2. Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah)

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Simplicity is beauty and the Radjah Shelduck or Raha Shelduck is simply elegant. It is mostly white with dark wingtips and a distinctive ‘collar’ of dark feathers. It also has green bands on the tops of its wings. In Australia, it is known as Burdekin Duck.

3. Black-Bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

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The Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck, a whistling duck found in the US and breeds from the southernmost US to Central and South America, is a colorful duck with white wings and long legs.  It is widely known as ‘pilije’ in Latin America. It is also formerly known as Black-bellied Tree Duck.

4. King Elder (Somateria spectabilis)

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The handsome King Eider, a sea duck with multi-colored head, winters in Arctic and sub-arctic regions and breeds along northern hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Asia. It feeds on crustaceans, polychaete worms, mussels and mollusks. Wintering birds can form large flocks on suitable coastal waters, with some flocks exceeding 100,000 birds.

5. Green-Winged Teal (Anas carolinensis)

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The pretty Green-Winged Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in the northern areas of North America. It is remarkable for its coloration and unique pattern.

6. Brazilian Duck (Amazonetta brasiliensis)

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The insect-eating Brazilian Duck or Brazilian Teal is a dabbling duck with red beak and legs. It is light brown in color having a notable pale grey area on the side of its head and neck. However, its wings are the most brightly colored parts.

7. Ringed Teal (Callonetta leucophrys)

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The small but beautiful Ringed Teal can be found in the forests of South America. The male and female of this duck species are both colorful. The drake (male) has a rich chestnut back, pale grey flanks and a salmon-colored breast with black dots. On the other hand, the hen (female) has  an olive-brownish back with the head blotched and striated in white, with penciled barring on a pale chest and belly. Both have a dark tail, a contrasting pale rump, and a distinctive white patch on the wing. The colors of the bills of both sexes are grey and the legs and feet are pink.

8. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)

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Another small American duck is the cute-looking Bufflehead, a sea duck that grows up to 16 inches long only and weighs up to 550grams only rivals the Green-Winged Teal as the smallest American duck.  The drake, with iridescent green and purple heads, has a large white patch behind the eye. Females are grey-toned with a smaller white patch behind the eye and a light underside

9. Wandering Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)

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The Wandering Whistling Duck has a unique coloration and pattern compared to other duck species. It can be found in the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands. Its name was derived from its loud whistling calls and the whistling noise its wings make during flight. Its legs and neck are long that resembles a cross between a duck and a goose. It feeds on water plants, grasses, water lilies and occasionally insects and aquatic creatures.

10. Blue-Winged Teal (Anas discors)

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Not-so-bright but I still consider the Blue-Winged Teal lovely. Its striking color pattern is similar to Australasian Shoveler hence it is not considered a teal despite its common name. Once the wings are spread, its sky-blue color will be revealed. Its legs are yellow and the head is grayish blue with whit facial crescent.

For more colorful ducks see

Who Said That Ducks Are Ugly: Gorgeously Handsome and Colorful Waterfowls

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