Canvasback is North America’s largest diving duck, easily recognized by its long, wedge-shaped profile and sloping forehead. Adult males display a rich chestnut-red head, contrasting black breast, and pale gray back and flanks; females are more subdued, with brownish heads and slate-gray bodies. These ducks feed by tipping vertically to graze on submerged aquatic vegetation—especially wild celery (Vallisneria americana) and various pondweeds—and will also take seeds and invertebrates when available.
In Arizona, Canvasbacks are uncommon but regular winter visitors and migrants, appearing from late October through March. They concentrate on the state’s larger water bodies—Lake Havasu, Roosevelt Lake, Saguaro and Bartlett reservoirs, and the Willcox Playas—along with the Salt and Colorado Rivers when levels allow. Peak concentrations often occur in November–December and again in February,though numbers can fluctuate with water and food availability. No breeding has been documented within the state, but occasional spring overshoots are recorded.
