Denver-Boulder Metro Area: Birds

This guide contains birds that can be found in the Denver-Boulder Metro Area, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.

Lesser Scaup

The Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) is a small North American diving duck that migrates south as far as Central America in winter. It is colloquially known as the Little Bluebill or Broadbill because of its distinctive blue bill. The origin of the name scaup may stem from the bird's preference for feeding on scalp – the Scottish word for clams, oysters, and mussels; ...more ↓

Redhead

The redhead (Aythya americana) is a medium-sized diving duck, 37 cm (15 in) long with an 84 cm (33 in) wingspan.

Ring-necked Duck

The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) is a diving duck from North America.

Tufted Duck

The tufted duck (Aythya fuligula) is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek aithuia an unidentified seabird mentioned by authors including Hesychius and Aristotle, and Latin, fuligo "soot" and gula "throat".

Greater Scaup

The Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), just Scaup in Europe, or colloquially "Bluebill" in North America for its bright blue bill, is a mid-sized diving duck though it is larger than the closely related Lesser Scaup. It is a circumpolar species, which means that its range circles one of Earth's poles. It spends the summer months breeding in Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia, ...more ↓

Canvasback

The canvasback (Aythya valisineria) is a species of diving duck, the largest found in North America.

Edited by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)