Black and white color combinations create a striking contrast on many duck species around the world. Both wild ducks and domesticated duck breeds can exhibit partial or complete black and white plumage. This distinct color pattern is found on ducks across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Drakes or male ducks are best known for their black and white appearance, although some species also display this contrasting color scheme in females. Keep reading to learn more about some of the most beautiful black and white ducks on the planet!
Wild Black and White Duck Species
Common Merganser
The Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) is a widespread sea duck that inhabits open waters in North America Europe and Asia. Males have the highest contrast plumage with a black head, neck, and upper back paired with a bright white belly and wings. Females are slightly more colorful than males with additional gray and red-brown hues.
Ring-necked Duck
Freshwaters across North America are home to the Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris). Males display black heads, necks, upper backs, and chests along with white bellies and wings. Their namesake cinnamon-brown ring around the neck is often overlooked. Females lack the white plumage and maroon neck ring.
Hooded Merganser
The Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) resides in North America with a striking crest on the head of females Males exhibit black and white bodies with brown bellies Their thin black beaks and tall head crests are distinctive.
Tufted Duck
Male Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula) boast black and white bodies offset by yellow eyes and a crest that can sit upright. Females are chestnut-brown with similar beaks and eyes.
Red-breasted Merganser
During breeding season, male Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator) have black heads, crests, and red eyes paired with gray, black, and white bodies. Females are brownish overall with smaller crests.
Lesser Scaup
The male Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) earns its “Little Bluebill” nickname from its blue beak. Males alone don the black and white plumage along with a green-glossed black head during breeding. Females are mottled brown.
Common Eider
As the largest eider species, the male Common Eider’s (Somateria mollissima) eclipse plumage is primarily black with white patterns and a bright blue beak. Non-eclipse males are mostly white with black accents. Females are drab gray-brown.
Long-tailed Duck
Recognizable by its namesake black, pointed tail, male Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) are black and white while females are largely brown. Males also have orange beaks and red-brown eyes during breeding.
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Found solely in northwestern North America, male Barrow’s Goldeneyes (Bucephala islandica) have mostly black heads with white cheeks and black beaks. Their necks and underbellies are white accented by black wings. Females are brown and off-white.
Smew
Male Smews (Mergellus albellus) are almost completely white except for black eye rings, upper backs, and thin wing stripes. Females are gray-white overall with black cheek patches in breeding plumage.
King Eider
King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis) boast unusually shaped white, gray, black, and yellow heads on males. Females are largely brown with gray beaks. Males and females both inhabit northern coastal regions.
Radjah Shelduck
Found in Australia and Indonesia, male and female Radjah Shelducks (Radjah radjah) exhibit equal parts black and white plumage. Their heads, necks, and underbellies are bright white while their backs, wings, and tails are black.
Greater Scaup
A large diving duck, the male Greater Scaup’s (Aythya marila) head turns black with green iridescence for breeding season. Its neck is black while its wings are checkered white and black. Females are dark brown overall.
Surf Scoter
Nearly all black, male Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) have small white facial patches and white at the base of their bright orange bills. Females are brown and black lacking the colorful beak.
Spectacled Eider
Male Spectacled Eiders (Somateria fischeri) have bright white “spectacles” around the eyes that contrast black margins and gray-green heads. Females also don eye-like markings but in brown over gray-brown plumage.
White-headed Duck
As the name suggests, male White-headed Ducks (Oxyura leucocephala) boast mostly white heads with black crest-like stripes and blue bills. Females have smaller white head patches bordered by gray-black.
Velvet Scoter
The male Velvet Scoter’s (Melanitta fusca) black head has thin white rings around the eyes and a yellow-orange beak. The rest of the body is black with white wing stripes. Females resemble males except with darker beaks and facial markings.
Scaly-sided Merganser
Scaly-sided Mergansers (Mergus squamatus) display primarily black upper sides and white undersides separated by a yellow transitional band along the flanks. Males also have thin brown beaks and black crests.
White-winged Duck
Native to Southeast Asia, male and female White-winged Ducks (Asarcornis scutulata) exhibit mostly white heads with pale gray spots. Males also boast chestnut bodies while females are more prominently marked with gray.
Canvasback
Showcasing its namesake canvas-colored back, the male Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) has a brown and black head plus white sections on its otherwise gray wings. Females are uniform brown except for a darker neck.
Harlequin Duck
No two Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) are colored exactly alike but males can display white, gray, black, and chestnut heads plus striped gray chests. Females are mostly brown with slight black and white facial markings.
Knob-billed Duck
Both male and female Knob-billed Ducks (Sarkidiornis melanotos) flaunt black and white plumage, however only males possess the distinctive knob-like black protuberance on top of the beak. Overall, heads, necks, and underbellies are bright white while backs, wings, and tails are black.
Domestic Black and White Duck Breeds
In addition to wild duck species, there are also several domesticated duck breeds that have been intentionally developed to display black and white plumage. Here are some of the most popular black and white domestic ducks.
Magpie Duck
Magpie Ducks were bred in Europe to resemble the black and white Common Magpie. They are mostly white with black crests, wings, and tails plus orange beaks and legs. Blue is also an accepted color.
Ancona Duck
Ancona Ducks are largely black and white with nearly all-white heads punctuated by scattered black dots and spots of varying sizes. Necks are all white while undersides are white and wings are mostly black. Beaks can be orange or yellow.
Swedish Blue
The Swedish Blue duck comes in black, white, gray, and blue color variations. The black and white morph exhibits a white neck spot on an otherwise black body accented by gray tones. Blue hues may also be present.
Hook Bill
Male Hook Bills are primarily black, gray, and white with long gray bills, green heads and necks, white chests and fronts, and black wings. This rare duck originated in Europe.
Muscovy Duck
Male Muscovy Ducks are mostly black and white. Some have black bodies with minimal white while others boast mostly white heads with black spotting. Wings are blackish with iridescent green sheens during breeding. Red facial skin provides added contrast.
From the Arctic north to the tropics and spanning both wild and domesticated species, black and white ducks exist across the globe. Their striking coloration often intensifies during breeding seasons and provides helpful identification cues. Whether spotted in the wild or raised on farms, black and white ducks never fail to impress with their beauty and elegance. Exploring the diversity of contrasting duck plumage patterns across the world reveals nature’s endless capacity for creating dazzling designs.
How to identify diving ducks
Ducks can be split into two broad groups: dabblers and divers. Diving duck is a loose term that covers a wide range of ducks who feed mainly by diving under the water, whether its to chase fish, scoop up insects or graze on tasty aquatic plants. Some diving ducks prefer freshwater and are often found on rivers, lakes and reservoirs, others prefer the sea and are usually seen from the coast.
Which diving ducks am I likely to see?
Diving ducks can be seen year-round, but winter brings a boost in numbers as birds arrive from Northern Europe and Russia. Some species, like scaup and smew, are mostly winter visitors and are rarely seen during the summer.
This quick identification guide covers the more widespread species and some of the rarer diving ducks you may encounter around the UK. Most descriptions refer to birds in breeding plumage, which is the plumage usually seen from autumn through spring. After breeding, they start moulting and males enter an often confusing “eclipse” plumage, where they usually resemble females.
Our most common diving duck; found on almost any freshwater body and often seen in parks and on urban waterways. Males are easily recognised by their black and white plumage and the long tuft of feathers on their head.
Females are much browner than males. The tuft on their head is much smaller, but still obvious. They sometimes have white feathers around the base of the bill, similar to scaup, but female tufted duck bills have a broad black tip with a ‘hint of’ pale band behind it.
Scaup pair © Chris Lawrence
Like the tufted duck, but larger with a rounder head and no hint of a tuft, and only a small amount of black at the bill tip. Males have a pale grey back; females are mottled grey-brown with a white blaze on the face. They are winter visitors and are usually coastal, forming large flocks at some Scottish sites, but can turn up on inland lakes and reservoirs.
This handsome duck is an uncommon breeding bird in the UK, but a very common winter visitor. Males have a pale grey body with black on the breast and stern, a bright chestnut head with red eye, and a black bill with a blue-grey band across it.
Female pochards arent as brightly coloured as males. Theyre mostly grey-brown, with a greyer back and a dark brown head. Young birds resemble females but are more uniform grey-brown. The head shape is distinctive, with a peaked crown and sloping forehead that runs smoothly into the curve of the bill.
Red-crested pochard pair © Irene Greenwood
These ducks became established in southern-central England after escaping captive collections. Males have a black body with white flanks and a brown back. The head is rusty-orange, often brighter at the top, with a bright red bill. Females are a soft brown, with white cheeks, a rich brown cap and a grey, pink-tipped bill.
Goldeneyes breed in the Scottish highlands, but in winter can be found on lakes, large rivers and coasts around the UK. Males are dazzling with a black and white body and a large, rounded head. The head is glossy and can appear green or purple depending on the light, with a golden eye and a white patch behind the bill.
Goldeneye female © Andy Morffew
Females have a mostly ash-grey body with a brown head and a white collar. The eye is pale yellow and the bill is dark, usually with a yellow band across it whilst in breeding plumage. Young birds resemble females but are duller and lack the white collar.
A large, heavy seaduck with a wedge-shaped bill. Males are strikingly black and white, with a green nape and a black cap. Females are brown with dark barring. They are present year-round off northern coasts, often gathering in large rafts. In winter they wander south and can be seen off other parts of the UK. It is extremely rare to find one inland.
Sawbills are a group of diving ducks with saw-like serrations on their slim bills, which help them catch and hold fish.
Smew pair (with tufted duck) © Lauren Booth
The smallest sawbill is a rare winter visitor to the UK. Males are dazzlingly white, with black markings including a neat black mask behind the bill. Female and immature smews look very similar to each other and are collectively referred to as redheads. Theyre mostly grey, with white cheeks and a dark chestnut nape, crown and forehead. Most UK sightings are of redheads.
A large, long-bodied duck that breeds on rivers and upland lakes in north and western Britain. In winter, they visit lakes, rivers and reservoirs in other regions and can roost in good numbers on suitable lakes. Males have a dark, bottle-green head, red bill, black back and largely white body. In flight, white patches cover most of their inner wings.
Females are greyish, with a dark red-brown head that contrasts sharply with the white chin patch and the whiter neck (compare with the subtle blending on a red-breasted mergansers neck). They have a long crest that often hangs behind the head but can be raised into tufts. Immature birds resemble females.
Slimmer than goosanders, with a narrower bill. Males have a glossy green-black head with a punk-like crest, white collar and streaky brown neck. The back is mostly black and the flanks are grey, with black breast sides showing distinctive white spots. In flight, they have less white on their wing than a goosander. Mostly coastal.
Females are grey-brown with a warmer brown head. They are similar to female goosanders, but have a thinner base to the bill, a less reddish-brown head and a shorter, spikier crest. A key difference is that the head colour blends subtly into the paler neck, whereas goosanders show a sharp distinction.
Border Collies sort black and white Ducks
FAQ
Which duck is black and white?
Tufted duck (male)
Our most common diving duck; found on almost any freshwater body and often seen in parks and on urban waterways. Males are easily recognised by their black and white plumage and the long tuft of feathers on their head.
Why are they called buffleheads?
This month let’s learn about the smallest diving duck found in North America, the Bufflehead. Buffleheads were given this name because the male Bufflehead’s puffy head is similar in shape to that of a buffalo’s head. Buffleheads are excellent swimmers, both on the surface and underwater.
What is the difference between a cherry valley duck and a Pekin duck?
A Cherry Valley duck grows about three kilograms of meat in only 38 days, while a traditional Pekin duck takes at least 40 days to grow the same amount. A Cherry Valley duck also consumes less feed — the biggest expense in raising ducks — to grow the same amount of meat.
Are muscovy ducks actually ducks?
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Not a Duck:Muscovy ducks, scientifically known as Cairina moschata, are a separate species of waterfowl, not part of the duck family (Anatinae).
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They are classified as perching waterfowl, meaning they are more likely to perch in trees or on structures than swim like most ducks.
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Distinct Traits:Muscovy ducks exhibit traits that differentiate them from typical ducks, such as:
- Roosting: They roost in trees, unlike most ducks that nest on the ground.
- Sounds: They hiss rather than quack, and males have a loud honk.
- Appearance: They have a body shape and breast like a turkey, and a head like a chicken.
- Roosting: They roost in trees, unlike most ducks that nest on the ground.
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While they can interbreed with ducks, the resulting offspring are often infertile.
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Origin:Muscovy ducks are native to Central and South America.
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Domesticated vs Wild:Wild Muscovy ducks are wary, fast-flying birds of wooded rivers and swamps, while domesticated Muscovy ducks are heavier and less agile.
What is a black and white duck?
Black and white duck breeds are renowned for their striking plumage, blending contrasting colors in various patterns. These ducks, like the Magpie, Ancona, and Swedish Blue, display a dominant mix of black and white feathers across their bodies.
How do you know if a duck is white?
Large and small black dots can be seen all around its head. The neck of the duck is completely white, on the other hand. A full-white color is also specific to the underside of these ducks. Its wings are mostly black, with white sections on the inner wings. Its short tail is also black.
Are there black and white ducks in North America?
There are a surprising number of ducks that are black and white in North America, and this guide will help you identify them. Ducks can be difficult to identify as they are often further away and obscured by water. Sometimes it is the female that is black and white, and also the male when they are in non-breeding plumage.
What does a white-headed duck look like?
The White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) stands out among black and white-headed ducks for its predominantly white head adorned with black stripes. Male ducks feature a distinctive black crest-like band and a blue bill. Females have smaller white patches on their heads with gray-black bands and stripes.
What does a duck look like?
Their chests feature gray with black and white stripes, and their wings sport red and red-brown sections. Females are predominantly brown with small black and white head markings. They often form stable breeding pairs that can last over two years, a behavior less common among ducks.
What color is a Swedish Blue Duck?
The Swedish Blue Duck is known for its three color patterns, including a black and white variant. These ducks predominantly feature black plumage with a distinctive white neck spot and gray undertones. Some individuals also exhibit blue hues, while others are mostly white.