Still adding info- January 2025
Ducks | Grebes | Mergansers | Loons | Geese & Swans | Pelicans & Others
American Coot
Size: 15 inches (38cm)
Habitat: Open water, cattails
Seasons: Generally warmer months
Key ID features:
American Wigeon
Size: 19-20 inches (48-51cm)
Habitat: Open water, agricultural fields
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Green eye band; grey/white strip on forehead
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Size: 18 inches (46cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Warmer months; less common than Common Goldeneye
Key ID features: Crescent, or upsidedown comma in front of eye; striking yellow/gold eye.
Blue-winged Teal
Size: 15-16 inches (38-41cm)
Habitat: Small bodies of water, flooded fields, marshy areas
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Dusty blue patch on wing; striking white slash between bill and eye.
Common Goldeneye
Size: 18-19 inches (46-49cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Year round in Helena valley waterways, more common Spring-Summer-Fall
ID help: Striking golden eye, oval white patch under eye, dives almost constantly.
Canvasback
Size: 21-22 Inches (53-56cm)
Habitat: Typically large open water
Seasons:
Key ID features: Bill and forehead elegantly sloped together; red eye; whitish back.
Cinnamon Teal
Size: 16-17 inches (41-43cm)
Habitat: Almost any water
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features:
Harlequin Duck
Size: 16-17 inches (41-43cm)
Habitat: Very tubulent water, sometimes in larger bays
Seasons: Warmer Months; Very uncommon; Species of concern in Montana
Key ID features:
Learn more about the species
Lesser Scaup
Size: 16-17 inches (41-44cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Small peak on back of head; Head looks purplish in good light
Mallard
Size: 22-23 inches (55-59cm)
Habitat: Water- from lakes and rivers to ponds, flooded fields and depp puddles.
Seasons: Year round
ID Help: Shiny, metallic green head. Warm brown breast. Small blue patch with white edges on wing.
Northern Pintail
Size: 25-26 inches (63-66cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Striking white blaze on chest and back of neck; long, pointed tail; blue/grey upper bill patch
Redhead Duck
Size: 19-20 inches (48-51cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Black tip on bluish beak; rounded head; grey back
Ring-necked Duck
Size: 17 inches (44cm)
Habitat: Open water, ponds
Seasons: warmer months
Key ID features: Black tipped bill with white rinf around bill, purple sheen on head in good light, crown on peak of head.
Ruddy Duck
Size: 15 inches (38cm)
Habitat: Open water, mashes, ponds
Seasons: warmer months
Key ID features: Distinctive blue bill, and stiff upright tail
Northern Shoveler
Size: 18-19 inches (46-49cm)
Habitat: Open water, mashes, ponds
Seasons: warmer months
Key ID features: Distinctive oversized bill
Wood Duck
Size: 18-19 inches (45-49cm)
Habitat: Open, mostly smaller bodies of water.
Seasons: Warmer months, some year round populations exist
Key ID features: Striking facial pattern; sweptback crest with white stripes
Clark’s Grebe (front)
Size: 25 inches (64 cm)
Habitat: Prairie potholes, marshes
Seasons: Warmer months. Species of concern in Montana
Key ID features: Mask above eye, yellower bill
Pied-billed Grebe
Size: 13-13 1/2 inches (33-34 cm)
Habitat: Rivers, ponds, lakes, marshes
Seasons: Warmer months. Species of concern in Montana
Key ID features: Short, blunt bill with ring
Red-necked Grebe
Size: 18-19 inches (46-49 cm)
Habitat: Prairie potholes, lakes, slow moving rivers, marshes
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Obvious reddish neck
Horned Grebe
Size: 13-14 inches (34-36 cm)
Habitat: Prairie potholes, marshes
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Blunter bill
Eared Grebe
Size: 12-13 inches (32-33 cm)
Habitat: Prairie potholes, marshes
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Pointy bill, very slight upturn
Western Grebe
Size: 25 inches (64cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: warmer months
Key ID features: Black cap extends below eye, white neck, red eye.
Hooded Merganser
Size: 17-18 inches (43-46cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Warmer months; sometimes year round
Key ID features: Distinct crest on both sexes; males have a white wedge outlined in black, females have a rusty wedge, often wityh a small white patch behind the eye.
Common Merganser
Size: 24-25 inches (62-64cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Year round
Key ID features: Large, slender bird that floats low and has striking orange bill on black head (males), or rusty reddish head with white throat patch (females).
Red-breasted Merganser
Size: 22-23 inches (57-58cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Warmer months, uncommon
Key ID features: Large, slender bird that floats low and has mohawk-like on black head with greenish sheen (males), or rusty reddish head with white throat patch (females).
Common Loon
Size: 31-32 inches (78-81cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Large loon with yellowish bill and pale head
Yellow-billed Loon
Size: 34-35 inches (86-89cm)
Habitat: Open water
Seasons: Rare visitor to Montana
Key ID features: Large loon with yellowish bill and pale head
Canada Goose
Size: 30-43 inches (76-110cm)
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, flooded fields, fallow fields, golf course (much to the players’ dismay)
Seasons: Year round
ID help: White chinstrap, grouchy, loud. In flight, often in undulating “V” patterns. Smaller ‘cousin’, the Cackling Goose looks similar, but sized more like a large mallard. (see next entry)
Cackling Goose (front)
Size: 23-32 inches (58-80cm)
Habitat: Open water, fields, golf courses
Seasons: Warmer months; occasional year round
Key ID features: Looks like a small Canada Goose with a stubby bill and shorter, thicker neck.
Greater White-fronted Goose
Size: 28 inches (71cm)
Habitat: Open water, fields, low shrubby grasslands
Seasons: Rare visitor to Montana, typically coastal or arctic.
Key ID features: Montana’s only native gray-brown goose with pinkish bill and orange feet. Pale chest! Brown striping in the mid area, and black patches on lower breast and belly.
Ross’s Goose (front, right)
Size: 23 inches (58cm)
Habitat: Marshes, open water, agricultural fields
Seasons: Spring and fall migration; uncommon
Key ID features: Smaller than Snow Goose, shorter bill and neck.
Snow Goose
Size: 25-33 inches (64-84cm)
Habitat: Open water, marshes, agricultural fields
Seasons: Spring and fall migrations
Key ID features: Usually snow white, sometimes grey/blue, black lipline on beak
Trumpeter Swan- Cygnus buccinator
Size: 58-60 inches (147-152cm)
Habitat: Open water, marshes, agricultural fields
Seasons: Spring and fall migrations
Key ID features: Huge white swan with all black bill, black patch extends to eye. Low nasal “whoonk” calls.
Tundra Swan
Size: 52-53 inches (132-135cm)
Habitat: Open water, marshes, agricultural fields
Seasons: Spring and fall migrations
Key ID features: Very large white swan with all black bill, yellow/orange patch extends to eye. High pitched “kwoo-kwoo” calls.
American White Pelican
Size: 50-65 inches (127-165cm)
Habitat: Open water, ponds
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Huge white bird with huge orange bill. Massive wingspan, black tips on wings.
Double Crested Cormorant
Size: 32-33 inches (81-84cm)
Habitat: Open water, ponds
Seasons: Warmer months
Key ID features: Large black bird with orange lower pouch near base of bill