Ruddy Duck

Ruddy Ducks are most often seen during migration or during very cold winters. They have a fairly recognizable silhouette with an upturned tail.

Hooded Merganser

Hooded Mergansers are one of our iconic winter birds. They can be found on almost any body of water on the island, including the creeks along the waterway. Males have a large white crest, and females are brown. They can remain totally submerged to feed along the bottom.

Red Breasted Merganser

Red Breasted Mergansers are usually seen in the impoundment during migration. Check near the corner where they are often fishing on an incoming tide.

Bufflehead

Buffleheads are small diving ducks most often seen in the impoundment. The males can have heads that almost seem iridescent. Sometimes whole flocks will be submerged at once. Females have a white cheek spot.

Scaup

We've lumped Greater and Lesser Scaup into this category. The one you are most likely to see on Dewees is the Lesser Scaup. They have black heads and white backs and are often in mixed flocks of ducks in the impoundment.

Red Head

These red-headed ducks are seen periodically on Huyler House pond and the Impoundment. They are usally stopping by and do not spend the winter here.

Green-winged Teal

These are among the smallest ducks on the island and they are often in flocks with gadwall, wigeon, and blue-winged teal.

Blue-winged Teal

These smaller ducks are often the first to arrive in fall and the last to leave. They are often in the impoundment in the winter, the conservation areas, or some of the smaller ponds.

Northern Shoveler

Northern Shovelers are named for their shovel-like bill. They tend to stop here during migration, and don't stay very long. We see them most often in the impoundment

Black Duck

When black ducks take off, they fly straight up, rather than slanted away. They are darker than mottled ducks. Identification between the two can be very tricky.

American Wigeon

Wigeon males are spectacularly gorgeous, with green heads and white chevrons on the tail.

Gadwall

Gadwall are larger dabbling ducks, and they often flock with American Wigeon in the impoundment and nearby ponds.

Mottled Ducks

These ducks look like female Mallards, and they are on the island year-round.

Mallard

Mallards are rare visitors to Dewees, even though they are often found as domestic ducks on ponds in the lowcountry.

Wood Duck

Wood ducks can be found in the inland conservation areas that hold fresh water.