Species profile
Redhead
Aythya americana
At a glance
Redhead (Aythya americana) is an IUCN Least Concern birds regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
Bag limits are uniform at 2 per angler across the 2 regulating jurisdictions.
Confirmed by 25,671 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, California, and Ontario the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- About 80% of the world's redhead population winters in Texas's Laguna Madre.
- Males have a brick-red head, black chest, and silvery-gray body.
- Redheads dive up to 10 feet deep to feed on aquatic plants and invertebrates.
- Female redheads frequently lay eggs in other ducks' nests, a behavior called brood parasitism.
- Wingspan averages about 33 inches.
Where Redhead are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Redhead
Background
The redhead (Aythya americana) is a medium-sized diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek aithuia an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin americana, of America. The redhead is 37 cm (15 in) long with an 84 cm (33 in) wingspan. It belongs to the genus Aythya, together with 11 other described species. The redhead and the common pochard…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Redhead article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other birds on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.