Masked duck
Nomonyx dominicus
Identification Tips:
- Small, chunky diving duck
- Long stiff-tail is often held vertically
- Dark wings with white speculum
- Immature and male eclipse similar to adult female
Adult male alternate:
- Brilliant blue bill
- Black face
- Brown neck and breast
- Brown and black body
- Black tail
Adult female:
- Dark bill
- Dark crown, eyeline, and line on cheek separated by pale lines above and
below eyeline
- Grayish brown body with pale feather edging
Similar species:
The rare Masked Duck of South Florida and South Texas is most similar to
the Ruddy Duck but the adult male Masked Duck in alternate plumage has a dark
face. Female, immature, and eclipse-plumaged males have one more dark line
on the face than the Ruddy Duck. Most other diving ducks do not have the
long, stiff tail of the Masked Duck. Hooded Mergansers can sometimes hold
their tails erect like Masked Ducks, but have crests and long thin bills.