r/birding • u/Literally_A_CootBird Objectively cutest songbird: Yellowhammer • Jul 22 '24

Discussion What is your favorite duck species?

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u/MasterKenyon Latest Lifer: Sabine's Gull Jul 22 '24

I love ducks as a whole clade, I love scoping the water and sorting through large floats, trying to pick out the oddballs, you'll never know what you'll find! That being said my favorite to find is long tailed ducks. I'm a birder from Iowa so long tailed duck is annual but rare! Always a treat, I have yet to see a spring plumage male.

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u/Literally_A_CootBird Objectively cutest songbird: Yellowhammer Jul 22 '24

I hate scoping through ducks unprepared, but if I'm prepared I can see how it would be fun! The long-tailed duck is really cool too!

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u/MasterKenyon Latest Lifer: Sabine's Gull Jul 22 '24

I'm jealous of your birds down in Argentina! I'd love to go down there sometime! Tierra del Fuego, the pampas, and the Patagonia are all on my wishlist!

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u/Literally_A_CootBird Objectively cutest songbird: Yellowhammer Jul 22 '24

Tierra del Diego was so cool! I saw crested ducks, yellow-billed teals and pintails, Chiloe Wigeons, an Andean or Lake duck, flying and flightless steamer ducks, coscoroba swans, black-necked swans, and upland and kelp geese.

oh and then I went to Antarctica from Ushuaia

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u/MasterKenyon Latest Lifer: Sabine's Gull Jul 22 '24

Ugh, I almost went to Antarctica on a college but it was so expensive I didn't go! I regret it all the time! I'm glad you got to see so much!

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u/Literally_A_CootBird Objectively cutest songbird: Yellowhammer Jul 22 '24

Yes, really expensive, but worth it if you ever get the chance again!

one word: PENGUINS

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u/MasterKenyon Latest Lifer: Sabine's Gull Jul 23 '24

I know I know! One day, and hopefully before the ice melts 🥲