Fauna
Bird · GBIF taxon 2498256

Canvasback

Aythya valisineria

Also known as Can, Bullneck, White-back

Canvasbacks are powerful, swift-flying diving ducks famous for their sloping forehead and wedge-shaped black bill, which creates a distinctively streamlined profile on the water. Breeding males display a rich chestnut-red head, black chest, and glowing white-canvas back that contrasts sharply against dark open water. Highly gregarious outside the nesting season, they gather in large rafts on deep lakes and coastal bays, diving up to nine meters to wrench aquatic plant tubers from muddy bottoms.

Diving DuckWaterfowlMigratory
Canvasback reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Elaine with Grey Cats, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Wild Celery Tubers
  • Pondweed Seeds
  • Aquatic Snails
Predators
  • Bald Eagle
  • Red Fox
  • Raccoon
ThreatsWetland degradation and drainage, loss of submerged aquatic vegetation beds, hunting pressure, and collision with power lines.
HabitatsPrairie potholes, deep freshwater marshes, large inland lakes, coastal bays, and brackish estuaries.
Life span10–16 years in the wild
Classification
  1. FamilyAnatidae
  2. SpeciesAythya valisineria
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Spotting scope: Use optics to scan large open-water rafts from lake shorelines or dikes without flushing them.
  • Winter bays: Look for tight diving aggregations in sheltered coastal bays and deep estuaries from November through March.
  • Wetland etiquette: Keep dogs leashed near shoreline reed beds during spring nesting to avoid disturbing breeding pairs.
Related species
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