Redhead: Drake
Diving duck · Duck ID

Redhead

Aythya americana · Round red head, gray back and a three-toned blue bill.

Drake. Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie · CC BY 2.0 · source
Length
16–21 in
Weight
1.4–3.3 lb
Wingspan
29–31 in
Group
Diving duck

Typical adult size. Drakes run larger than hens.

Field marks

How to identify a redhead

Drake

Round rusty-red head with a steep forehead, yellow eye, black chest, gray body and a pale-blue bill with a white ring and black tip.

Hen

Plain warm brown with a pale face and the same tricolored bill.

In flight

Gray wing stripe on the back of the wing; drakes look dark at both ends with a gray middle.

Look-alikes

  • Canvasback: Canvasbacks have a sloping profile, a long black bill and a much whiter back.
  • Ring-necked duck: Ring-necked hens have a white eye ring and more peaked heads.
Photos

Redhead gallery

Redhead: Hen
HenMykola Swarnyk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Redhead: In flight
In flightUSFWS Mountain-Prairie · CC BY 2.0 · source
Redhead: Pair
PairUSFWS Mountain Prairie · Public domain · source
2026-27 bag limits

Redhead limits in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas

StateRedhead daily limitPossessionTotal daily ducksSource
MississippiNov 27–29; Dec 4–6; Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 20272 a day3 times the daily limit
Not confirmed Opening-day possession wording in the Digest (check the official source)		6 ducks a dayMDWFP Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits · checked Oct 22, 2026
Mississippi rules
TennesseeNov 28–29; Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 20272 a day3 times the daily limit, except 1 times on opening day and 2 times on the second day6 ducks a dayTWRA Waterfowl and Migratory Birds · checked Oct 22, 2026
Tennessee rules
ArkansasNov 21–29; Dec 10–23; Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 20272 a day3 times the daily limit6 ducks a dayAGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026
Arkansas rules

Regular-season limits from each state’s official 2026-27 regulations. Possession limits count birds at home too. Federal rules apply on top of state rules, and some WMAs and refuges set stricter limits. Louisiana limits are on the Louisiana rules page.

Mid-South

When and where on public land

Timing

Scattered from November through January, more common in cold winters.

Habitat

Big open lakes and reservoirs with submerged plants.

Spot guides

Public land

Keep going

More diving ducks

Ring-necked duckA small diver with a peaked head and a white ring on the bill. Common in timber and beaver ponds.Lesser scaupThe bluebill. Gray back, dark head and a blue bill. Has its own bag limit by date.CanvasbackLong sloping profile, red head and a whiter-than-white back.BuffleheadA tiny diver. Drakes are mostly white with a big white patch on a dark head.

All species

See something wrong or out of date? Report a correction.