How to Watch Ducks in the Fall

By Karen Bridgers

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Maps
Binoculars

Step 1:
Check your field guide to see which species of ducks will be migrating into your area.
Step 2:
Study duck habitats. Learn the difference between diving and dabbling ducks and where each might be found.
Step 3:
Learn plumage differences between male and female, breeding and winter ducks.
Step 4:
Invest in a good spotting scope to aid in duck identification.
Step 5:
Frequent wildlife refuges, lakes, sloughsand preserves.
Step 6:
Call your local Audubon Society chapter or bird club and inquire about field trips to see migrating waterfowl.
Step 7:
Spend as much time observing ducks as you possibly can. Practice makes perfect.

Tips & Warnings

Female teal are especially challenging to identify.
If you are watching ducks in areas where duck hunting is allowed, be careful!

More Puppy Pages

How to Watch Warblers in Fall Plumage

Before fall migration, many species of warblers lose their bright and distinctive breeding plumage and molt into drabber colors for the winter. Identifying these fall birds can be such a problem, Roger Tory Peterson actually included a section in some of...

Birding is one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the United States. If you're looking for a new pastime, join the eager amateur ornithologists.

Texas is a premier birding state with over 600 species identified by bird watchers. Texas is the number one birding state in the region. Bird watching in Texas has dozens of hot spots spread across the state. Whether birding along the coast, or in the...

Bird watching opportunities abound in Kansas. Birders not only visit to see the native species but also the seasonal migrants. Birding in the Sunflower State presents bird watchers with a bounty as full as the ripening fields of grain for which Kansas is...

Maine offers bird watchers the opportunity to explore huge open woodlands and spectacular coastlines. Birders can quickly tally up impressive bird watching totals. The coastal areas provide the rare treat of puffin viewing, and the vast forests of...