key to id waterfowl:
1. is typical male adult Mallard in breeding plumage?
     Male with iridescent green head, rusty chest, and gray body. 
     Similar to adult male Mallard:
       male Red-breasted Merganser 
       male Northern Shoveler
   No:  goto 2.  
     
2. does it look like female Mallard? 
     Yes: possible choices:
          - female adult Mallard
				     Brownish all over with mottled streaking of buff, white, and dark brown. 
				     Face paler than body. 
				     Dark line through eye. 
				     Dark streak on crown. 
				     Belly pale. 
				     Tail whitish. 
				     Undertail pale. 
				     Bill orange or yellow marked with variable splotches of black. 
				     Legs red-orange.          
          - juvenile Mallard
          - male adult Mallard in eclipse plumage
              Crown dark green. 
              Face pale brownish. 
              Dark line through eye. 
              Breast warm brown. 
              Body and wings mottled brown, white, and buff. 
              Slight upturn to central tail feathers. 
              Bill clear yellowish olive.
          - American Black Duck
              Black borders on blue wing patch (female adult Mallard has bold white borders)
              Dark tail

          - hybrid of American Black Duck & Mallard
          - Gadwall
              The male is slightly larger than the female.
              Male -
              The breeding male is patterned grey, with a black rear end, light chestnut wings, and a brilliant white speculum, obvious in flight or at rest. 
              In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage, the drake looks more like the female, but retains the male wing pattern, and is usually greyer above and has less orange on the bill.
              Female -
              The female is light brown, with plumage much like a female Mallard. 
                It can be distinguished from that species by the dark orange-edged bill, smaller size, the white speculum, and white belly.
                No other dabbling duck has a small square white patch (speculum) at base of wings.

          - Mottled Duck, rare in NYC
          - Northern Shoveler, adult female
              easily distinguished by the long broad bill, which is gray tinged with orange on cutting edge and lower mandible.



     No:  goto 3.     

3. hybrid of American Black Duck & Mallard ?

4. American Wigeon ?
     Adult Description
			•Medium-sized duck. 
			•Male with white crown. 
			•Green face patch. 
			•Large white patch in wings. 
			•Black rear end bordered by white. 
     Immature Description
       Similar to adult female.

5. Duck with a red (or partially red) head    
     Eurasian Wigeon
     Cinnamon Teal
     Northern Pintail (dark reddish brown head)
       •Male with white chest, white stripe up neck, and dark reddish brown head.
        Female & immature look like female Mallard to certain extent.
          Slim and long-necked, the Northern Pintail has a distinctive silhouette. 
     Green-winged Teal
     Canvasback
     Redhead