Canvasback

Scientific name: Aythya valisineria

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males display a chestnut-red head and neck with a black breast and white body; females are brown overall with a lighter head. Both sexes have a long, sloping profile from bill to crown and red eyes.

Size and weight

Males 0.9–1.4 kg, females 0.8–1.2 kg; body length 48–56 cm.

Habitat

Canvasbacks inhabit large, open freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and marshes with deep water and submerged vegetation. They prefer alkaline and brackish waters in prairie and high-desert regions.

Distribution

Breeding range spans northern prairie regions from British Columbia to the Great Lakes; winter throughout Pacific and Atlantic coastal regions and interior reservoirs from the southern U.S. to Mexico.

Diet

Canvasbacks feed primarily on aquatic vegetation, particularly wild celery and pondweeds, with occasional consumption of aquatic invertebrates and snails.

Behaviour

Highly gregarious and often seen in large flocks, especially during migration and winter. Active throughout the day but concentrate feeding in early morning and late afternoon; dive to forage at depths of 1–3 m.

Hunting tips

Scout open water and diving-duck concentrations early morning and dusk. Approach from downwind using terrain or floating cover to break outline. Decoy spreads in deeper water with adequate spacing attract responsive flocks; canvasbacks dive readily but require clear landing zones.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 4 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.