As the expression goes, “If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”
But is it a dabbler or a diver?
“Duck butt” sightings will help you initially ID whether it’s a diver or a dabbler.More common throughout the year in southeast Tennessee, the dabbler duck feeds by skimming the water’s surface with its large bill. A dabbler can most easily be identified through observation of “duck butt,” which is when the bird submerges its head and neck, tipping only its tail out of the water.
Examples of a dabbler include the wood duck (Aix sponsa) and the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).
The diver duck, on the other hand, feeds by propelling its entire body underwater. Most of these species visit our region only during migration or winter months.