The Canvasback is a duck that is found only in North America. It is a favorite of hunters, as it is delicious to eat if it has itself eaten the right food. Canvasbacks take their specific name from an aquatic plant, called wild celery, or Vallisneria americana, which is one of the foods that impart an excellent flavour to this game bird.

Male and female Canvasbacks resemble Redheads and Ring-necked Ducks of the corresponding sex, but can be distinguished from them by their longer black bills and less abrupt foreheads. Body: 24-28 inches long

Adult Male is a large, weighing 36 to 56 ounces, white-bellied, grey-backed duck with a black chest, sloping forehead, and ruddy chestnut head and neck.

Adult Female is about the same size, 33 to 49 ounces, and has the same sloping forehead and long bill. She is less colorful and thus more able to blend into her surroundings as she incubates her eggs and rears her young. She is white-bellied with a pale brown back and reddish brown head, neck, and chest.

In early autumn, the young of both sexes resemble adult females, although their breast plumage is more mottled and their back plumage is darker. During November, the young males begin to resemble the adult males, and by February the adult plumage of both sexes has almost completely grown in. The Canvasback is one of the most powerful fliers among ducks, capable of speeds of 70 miles per hour. Their wings create a loud whirring noise. Although Canvasbacks dabble at times, they are in the diving duck class because they usually dive for their food and like other divers, they have a special lobe on their hind toe that they use like a paddle in the water.

When taking off from the water, Canvasbacks patter along the surface for some distance before becoming airborne. The Canvasback is an awkward bird on land due to its large size, short legs, and webbed feet.
©southernduckhunter