20 Ducks in Mississippi – What To See, and Where To See Them!

May 9, 2023

Ducks are a fascinating group of birds, and those looking to spot them in Mississippi will certainly not be disappointed. There are many duck species present in this state.

We’ve listed some of the most popular species of ducks in Mississippi that you are likely to see below, with information on when you might spot them in this state.

Wood Ducks

Aix sponsa
Length: 18.5 – 21.3 in (47 – 54 cm)
Weight: 16.0 – 30.4 oz (454 – 862 g)
Wingspan: 26.0 – 28.7 in (66 – 73 cm)

Wood ducks are slightly more commonly spotted here in the summer months, though they can be seen here year-round. Look for them in wooded swamps and feeding on land in fields and forests.

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos
Length: 19.7 – 25.6 in (50 – 65 cm)
Weight: 35.3 – 45.9 oz (1000 – 1300 g)
Wingspan: 32.3 – 37.4 in (82 – 95 cm)

Mallards, another familiar duck to many, are also present here year-round. Though these are more commonly spotted during the winter, between November and March. You may well be familiar with feeding these birds on ponds or rivers.

Blue Winged Teal

Spatula discors
Length: 15 – 17 in (38 – 43 cm)
Weight: 19.18 oz (544 g)
Wingspan: 23 – 31 in (58 – 79 cm)

Another year-round resident of Mississippi, the blue-winged teal can be spotted in summer and winter. But the numbers of this species swell, so you are most likely to see them, in March-April and September-October – the migration periods.

Northern Shovelers

Spatula clypeata
Length: 17.3 – 20.1 in (44 – 51 cm)
Weight: 14.1 – 28.9 oz (400 – 820 g)
Wingspan: 27.2 – 33.1 in (69 – 84 cm)

Northern Shovelers are dabbling ducks that can be seen in western Mississippi during the winter months – typically from around September to May. You can find them in large groups in stagnant, shallow waters.

Gadwalls

Mareca strepera
Length: 19 – 23 in (48 – 58 cm)
Weight: 35.27 oz (1000 g)
Wingspan: 31 – 36 in (79 – 91 cm)

Some of these ducks may reside in Mississippi year-round. But most commonly, these ducks will be seen here between September and April. They occur in 7% of birdwatcher’s checklists for this period in this state.

Green-Winged Teal

Anas crecca
Length: 12.2 – 15.3 in (31 – 39 cm)
Weight: 4.9 – 17.6 oz (140 – 500 g)
Wingspan: 20.5 – 23.2 in (52 – 59 cm)

Green-winged teals are winter birds here in Mississippi. They can be spotted here, on the whole, from September to around April, and appear in 4% of birdwatcher’s checklists during this time.

Northern Pintail

Anas acuta
Length: 20 – 26 in (51 – 66 cm)
Weight: 36.33 oz (1030 g)
Wingspan: 29 – 35 in (74 – 89 cm)

Spotted in this state, mostly in the northwest of Mississippi, these ducks can be seen here between October and March. They appear in around 2% of the winter checklists of bird watchers in this state.

American Wigeon

Mareca americana
Length: 16.5 – 23.2 in (42 – 59 cm)
Weight: 19.1 – 46.9 oz (540 – 1330 g)
Wingspan: 33.1 in (84 cm)

Though they appear in only around 1 percent of winter birdwatching checklists in the state, American wigeons can be seen here between October and March.

Buffleheads

Bucephala albeola
Length: 13 – 16 in (33 – 41 cm)
Weight: 21.16 oz (600 g)
Wingspan: 20 – 24 in (51-61 cm)

Buffleheads are mostly spotted in Mississippi from November up until around May. Around 12% of birdwatchers in the state included this duck in their winter checklists.

Ring-necked Ducks

Aythya collaris
Length: 14 – 18 in (36 – 46 cm)
Weight: 32.09 oz (909 g)
Wingspan: 24 – 30 in (61 – 76 cm)

Though some of these ducks may hang out in Mississippi all year, these ducks are typically present between November and March and have been recorded on the birdwatching lists of 8% of birdwatchers in the state.

Lesser Scaup

Aythya affinis
Length: 15 – 18 in (38 – 49 cm)
Weight: 40.77 oz (1155 g)
Wingspan: 24 – 33 in (61- 84 cm)

Though sightings of lesser scaup have been recorded in Mississippi year-round, most sightings occur during the winter, from November to April. 7% of state birdwatchers’ checklists include this species.

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensis
Length: 14 – 16 in (35.56 – 40.64 cm)
Weight: 28.04 oz (795 g)
Wingspan: 21 – 24 in (53 – 61 cm)

Ruddy ducks are another duck that can be seen here year-round. But they are most commonly recorded as having been spotted in Mississippi during the coldest part of the year, from November to January.

Mottled Duck

Anas fulvigula
Length: 20 – 22 in (51 – 56 cm)
Weight: 36.8 oz (1043 g)
Wingspan: 30 in (76 cm)

Mottled ducks can be seen in Mississippi year-round too. These ducks appear in around 3% of birdwatcher’s checklists in this state in both summer and winter.

Redheads

Aythya americana
Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
Weight: 43.03 oz (1219 g)
Wingspan: 29 – 35 in (74 – 89 cm)

There have been occasional redhead sightings in Mississippi throughout the year. But you are most likely to encounter these ducks here between mid-October and April.

Canvasbacks

Aythya valisineria
Length: 19 – 24 in (48 – 61 cm)
Weight: 58.48 oz (1657 g)
Wingspan: 28 – 36 in (71 – 91 cm)

Recorded in around 1% of winter birdwatchers’ checklists in Mississippi, canvasbacks are mostly seen in the state between November and April. They are seen in winter on freshwater lakes and in coastal waters.

Greater Scaup

Aythya marila
Length: 15.3 – 22.1 in (39 – 56 cm)
Weight: 25.6 – 48.0 oz (726 – 1360 g)
Wingspan: 28.4 – 31.1 in (72 – 79 cm)

These diving ducks are most commonly spotted in Mississippi from November to March, though they appear in only 1% of birdwatchers’ checklists during this time.

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus
Length: 16 – 19 in (41 – 48 cm)
Weight: 32.09 oz (909 g)
Wingspan: 24 – 26 in (61 – 66 cm)

A sea duck, the smallest species of Merganser and the only one exclusively living in North America, you can spot the hooded Merganser here between November and May.

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator
Length: 16 – 26 in (41 – 66 cm)
Weight: 47.61 oz (1349 g)
Wingspan: 31 – 35 in (79 – 89 cm)

These sea ducks spend the winter in the state and can be seen in Mississippi from November to April. Sometimes they may even reside here as late as July.

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula
Length: 15.8 – 20.1 in (40 – 51 cm)
Weight: 21.2 – 45.9 oz (600 – 1300 g)
Wingspan: 30.3 – 32.7 in (77 – 83 cm)

Appearing in around 2% of winter birdwatchers’ checklists in Mississippi, these ducks are spotted here from November through to March. They are seen in coastal areas during the winter.

Black Scoter

Melanitta americana
Length: 17 – 21 in (43 – 53 cm)
Weight: 387.4 oz (1088 g)
Wingspan: 30 – 35 in (76 – 89 cm)

Sadly, this duck is a near-threatened species here in Mississippi. However, they can be spotted here, mostly in the south of the state, between November and June.

Of course, this is by no means a complete list of the ducks that can be seen in Mississippi, and there are plenty of other ducks that you might encounter in the state. But when looking to identify different ducks in Mississippi, learning more about the above species is a good place to start.