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The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge - New Jersey

Among the most handsome of all ducks, the Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is recognized by its slender build, long, elegant neck and elongated, spiky central tail feathers, a feature that gives rise to its common name. A graceful waterbird with long, narrow wings, during the breeding season the male northern pintail has a chocolate-brown head, white underparts and a white neck, with a thin, white line extending up the back of the neck, and a long, black tail bordered by yellowish-tan patches. The upper back and sides are grey, the lower back feathers are black with pale edges, and the rear of the wing is bronzy-greenish, with a black band and white rear edge. The eyes are dark brown and the legs are grey. At other times of the year, the male northern pintail has duller, brownish plumage, with fine, dark streaks on the neck and broad, dark barring on the upperparts. The female northern pintail lacks the colorful plumage of the male, with largely brown upperparts, a tan crown and face, whitish underparts, and a bronzy-greenish band on the rear of the wing, as well as bluish-grey legs and a dull black bill.

Walking or running with a slight waddle, the northern pintail is actually quite agile on land, but is most graceful and acrobatic in flight. It is able to achieve great speeds while flying, earning the species the nickname ‘greyhound of the air’. The northern pintail is a rather quiet bird, but the male may emit a mellow, whistled “kwee” or “kwee-hee”, while the female produces a hoarse, muffled “quack”.

The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge - New Jersey

Distinctive diving duck that feeds on submerged seeds, roots, and invertebrates. Male in particular is strikingly marked, but both sexes can be recognized by peaked crown and tricolored bill: dark gray with a subterminal white band and black tip. In flight, all birds show whitish underwings and pale gray flight feathers, contrasting with darker upper wing coverts.

The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge - New Jersey

The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) is a smaller diving duck from North America.
The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian Tufted Duck, its relative. It has a grey bill with a white band, a shiny purple head, a white breast, yellow eyes and a dark grey back. The adult female has a pale brown head and body with a dark brown back, a dark bill with a more subtle light band than the male and brown eyes. The cinnamon neck ring is usually difficult to observe, unlike the white ring on its bill, which is why the bird is sometimes referred to as a "ringbill".
Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes or ponds in the northern United States and Canada. They overwinter in southern North America, usually in lakes, ponds, rivers or bays.
These birds feed mainly by diving. They eat aquatic plants as well as some molluscs, aquatic insects and small fish.
The nest is bowl-shaped, built with aquatic vegetation and lined with down, in a dry location near open water. The female lays 8 to 10 eggs and may remain with the young until they are able to fly.

Photographed in my backyard perched on my apple tree. Fired a few shots and as soon as he spotted me off he went.

This bold and dashing little hawk, the terror of all small birds and the audacious murderer of young chickens, is widely distributed in North America, very common at some season in practically all the United States and Canada. Although it breeds throughout most of its range, more or less rarely, its center of abundance during the nesting season is in the eastern Provinces of Canada.

It is best known to most of us as a migrant, coming along with the migrations of small birds and frequenting the open country, the edges of the woods, clearings, hedgerows, bushy pastures, and shore lines, where migrating birds may be found. It is not a forest-loving species and is seldom seen in heavily wooded regions. It has been well called a bushwhacker from its habit of beating stealthily about the shrubbery to the fatal surprise of many a little songster.

The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge - New Jersey

American black ducks are among the larger of the dabbling ducks, or those that feed by tipping their bodies to access underwater vegetation in shallow water. In winter they can be found throughout eastern North America east of the Mississippi River from northern Florida to southern Quebec, in both freshwater and coastal marine habitats.
Black ducks eat a wide variety of vegetation including roots, seeds, tubers, leaves of aquatic plants, and even corn or other grains when they are available. When nesting, females will often eat aquatic insects and invertebrates such as isopods, snails, and clams. In winter they will feed on available vegetation but will also eat bivalves, snails, benthic invertebrates, and even small fish.
American black duck take readily to land and run and walk with ease. They re-form pair bonds each year on their wintering grounds. They begin nesting as early as February in the southern part of their breeding range, but often not until late May in their northern Canada nesting locations. Nests are often located near wetlands; particularly near beaver ponds or near lakes, ponds, and bogs.