Family: AnatidaeHabitat: Open areas, arctic tundra, usually near water; in winter and migration, also frequents pastures and flooded agricultural fields.
Distribution: Breeding range extends from Alaska eastward across northern Yukon, Mackenzie, and Keewatin to western Greenland. Winter range in the west extends from southern British Columbia south to Baja California; in the mid-west, from Texas and Louisiana north to Oklahoma and Kansas; and in the eastern U.S. from the Great Lakes region south to Mississippi and Florida (A.O.U. 1998).
Field Marks: Key field marks include the black speckling on the belly, the pink bill bordered with white at the base, and the orange legs and feet.
Nest Habits: Breeds in loose colonies on open tundra.
Eggs: 1-7, usually 5-6; 79 millimeter; buffy-white or cream-colored.
Incubation: The female incubates the eggs; both sexes care for the young. Incubation lasts approximately 23-25 days and the young are capable of flight when they are about 45 days old.
