When The Ducks Come Quacking In

As winter blooms into spring on the Platte River, ducks return to the Iain Nicholson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary. Common duck species that migrate through our area include Wood Ducks, Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, Buffleheads, Blue-winged Teals, Redheads, Green-winged Teals, Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintails, Cinnamon Teals, and Gadwalls. Some of them arrive as early as February and sometimes stay to breed/raise ducklings into the summer.

 One of the most common species seen is the Mallard. This duck can be found year-round in Nebraska, but it is more actively seen during December to June in Central Nebraska. Like most ducks, Mallard males and females are sexually dimorphic: their physical appearance differs.  Males have green heads, yellow bills, a white neck ring, reddish/brown chests, and gray bodies, whereas the females have mottled brown with an orange bill. Mallards are dabblers who are opportunist foragers for food such as plant material, insects, earthworms, small fish, and tadpoles. Though common, the Mallard is always a delight to see swimming and foraging in the Platte River.

A rarer sight to see on the Platte River is the Cinnamon Teal. One individual was spotted numerous times with a group of Blue-winged Teals this spring around Rowe Sanctuary. Though it is possible for a Cinnamon Teal to be seen in central Nebraska, it is out of their normal migration pattern, which is closer to Western Nebraska/Eastern Colorado. The Cinnamon Teal are sexually dimorphic as well, but less so than the Mallard, with the males and females looking remarkably similar in the fall. Male Cinnamon Teals have red eyes, a reddish-brown head/chest/stomach, and a mottled brown back. They also have blue and green feathers, usually seen during flight. Females are more on the muted side, being mottled brown all over except for light blue feathers seen during flight. Cinnamon Teals are shallow foragers, eating mostly plant material with the occasional insect or small crustacean. One explanation for the Cinnamon Teal following this group of Blue-winged Teals is that they have been known to mate with Blue-winged Teals and hatch hybrids. 

The ducks that migrate, live, and breed on the Platte River are a wondrous sight to behold. Every year, they bring their collage of vibrant feathers to the subdued winter colors of central Nebraska, as if to remind the river that spring is here, and it is time to paint the landscape with a kaleidoscope of color!