Weird Duck Time: All the Odd Duck Species You Might See on the East End This Winter
It’s the offseason for most of the East End, but it’s high season for bird watchers – particularly those who enjoy ducks.
While many Long Island residents – human and duck – head for the sunny shores of Florida and other places at this time of year, this region is “south for the winter” for many species of waterfowl, particularly those that reside in the Arctic and the boreal forests of northern Canada.
“That’s the fun thing that people don’t realize,” Peggy Lauber, president of the North Fork Audubon Society, said. “For them, this is their warm grounds, warm water for swimming, because they come down from the Arctic.”
This time of year, if you can brave the cold, you’re almost guaranteed to see some of these weird ducks around the East End, particularly in inlets.
The phrase “Weird Duck Time” was popularized by birdwatcher and cartoonist Rosemary Mosco when describing the four seasons of bird watching. Many of these ducks are strikingly different from the usual mallards commonly seen on Long Island, according to the Audubon Society.
Weird Duck Species on the East End
Hooded Merganser
With striking plumage and a distinctive crest, the hooded merganser is one of North America’s most eye-catching ducks. Males boast bold black-and-white patterns with a large, fan-shaped white crest that expands when displaying, while females have a more subdued brownish-gray appearance with a shaggy, cinnamon-colored crest. These small diving ducks are agile swimmers, using their serrated bills to catch fish, insects and crustaceans.
Long-Tailed Ducks
Long-tailed ducks are small, striking sea ducks with a distinctive appearance and lively behavior. Males in breeding plumage have white heads, dark cheeks, and long, elegant tail feathers, while females and non-breeding males are more muted in brown and white. They are highly vocal, known for their yodeling calls. Agile divers, they spend much of their time underwater, using their wings to propel themselves while hunting for crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish. Unlike many ducks, they spend a lot of time in the ocean, particularly in rough water.
Northern Shoveler
While rare on Long Island – and easily confused with Long Island’s mallard ducks due to their colors – northern shovelers come to the Northeast for the winter as well. These ducks often swim in circles, working together to stir up aquatic invertebrates and seeds, which they are then able to grab a lot of with their aptly named, shovel-like beaks.
Common Loon
Not technically a duck, common loons are best known for their distinct calls, specifically one with a tremolo often heard in northern places like the Adirondacks. Common loons are black and white with striking red eyes – though when they come down to Long Island at this time of year, they lose that distinct coloring since they are in non-breeding plumage. These diving birds spend most of their time in the water and can be confused with Long Island’s cormorants – but unlike cormorants, they have trouble walking on land due to how far back on their body their legs are.
Surf Scoter
Surf scoters are large, stocky sea ducks with predominantly black plumage. Males feature a striking white patch on the forehead and a swollen, multicolored bill of orange, yellow, and black. Females are duller, brownish, with less distinct markings. These diving ducks thrive in coastal waters offered by the Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay, often forming large flocks in winter. They dive skillfully for mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates.
Scaup
Scaup ducks are medium-sized diving ducks. Males have glossy black heads with an iridescent sheen, bright yellow eyes, a bluish-gray bill, and a contrasting white belly. Females are brown with a white patch at the base of the bill.
Bufflehead
Compact and energetic, bufflehead ducks are among the smallest diving ducks in North America. Males are striking, with iridescent green and purple heads, a large white patch on the back of the head, and a black-and-white body. Females are more subdued, sporting gray-brown plumage with a small white cheek patch. Unlike many ducks, buffleheads often form monogamous pairs, returning to the same nesting sites in tree cavities, typically old woodpecker holes, year after year.
Other waterfowl species you may see at this time of year are cackling geese, which look a lot like Canada geese, which have breeding populations on Long Island, common eiders, gadwall and others.
The North Fork Audubon Society hosts numerous birdwatching events each month, including looking for winter ducks. Visit northforkaudubon.org for more information.
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