Derbyshire Wildlife Trust offers tips on identifying dabbling ducks this winter

As the cold grip of the Arctic winter takes hold on the lakes, pools and marshes of northern Europe and Russia, huge numbers of swans, ducks and geese retreat to the relative warmth of the UK.

Our lakes, rivers, reservoirs and coasts are a winter home for an estimated 2.1 million ducks.

Ducks can be split into two broad groups: dabblers and divers. As the name suggests, diving ducks feed mainly by diving underwater, using their strong feet (and sometimes their wings) to swim.

Dabbling ducks, however, feed predominantly at the surface, sometimes even grazing on land. Many dabblers can often be seen upending, with their heads underwater and their bums in the air.

We’ve pulled together an introduction to the dabbling ducks you’re most likely to see this winter. So why not wrap up warm, head to your nearest water body and search for some spinning shovelers, whistling wigeon or pristine pintails?

Top tip: a useful way of identifying ducks (especially females) is to look at the speculum – this is a coloured patch on the secondary flight feathers, which are the feathers at the trailing edge of the wing, close to the body. The speculum is often a distinctive colour and can easily be seen in flight, and often seen on swimming or standing birds.

Mallards – the classic duck. Males have a yellow bill and a green head, separated from the brown breast by a thin white collar.Whereas females are a streaky brown all over.

Pintail – an elegant duck, with a small brown head, a long neck that’s brown at the back and white at the front, and grey body. The black middle feathers of the tail are very long. The speculum is dark green, with a white border at the back and a rusty border at the front. The bill is black with blue sides.

Wigeon – smaller than a mallard, with a short neck and small, blue, black-tipped bill. They have a round, chestnut head with a creamy-yellow patch on the forehead. Often gives a whistling call. Females are mostly a mottled brown

For more duck species, visit www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/dabbling-ducks.