8 Types of DUCKS That Live in Montenegro! (2025)
Do you want to learn about the types of ducks found in Montenegro?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. As you will see, there are all kinds of colorful, beautiful, and odd-looking ducks here!
In this article, you will find descriptions, photos, and RANGE MAPS for each species. I’ve also included some fun facts about these incredible water birds. 🙂
8 types of ducks in Montenegro!
#1. Mallard
- Anas platyrhynchos
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males have a bright green head, thin white collar, dark reddish-brown chest, yellow bill, and a black rump with a white-tipped tail.
- Females are mottled brown with orange and brown bills.
- Both sexes have purple-blue secondary feathers on their wings, most visible when standing or flying.
My guess is that almost everyone is familiar with the Mallard. These ducks are the most common species in Montenegro!
Mallards are extremely comfortable around people, which is why these adaptable ducks are widespread. They are found in virtually any wetland habitat, regardless of location.
Mallards readily accept artificial structures built for them by humans. If you have a nice pond or a marsh, feel free to put up a homemade nesting area to enjoy some adorable ducklings walking around your property! Make sure you put up predator guards so predators can’t get to the eggs.
When you think of a duck quacking, it is almost inevitably a female Mallard. If there is a better duck sound, we haven’t heard it! Interestingly, males do not quack like females but, instead, make a raspy call.
#2. Northern Shoveler
- Spatula clypeata
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males have reddish-brown flanks, green heads, a white chest, black backs, and yellow eyes.
- Females are brown, and sometimes you can see a bluish shoulder patch.
- Both sexes have distinctive bills, which are large and wide!
If you only glance at the green head, casual European observers might accidentally think these ducks are Mallards. But one look up close, and you should notice the ENORMOUS spoon-shaped bill, which is how Northern Shovelers got their name.
They use their large bill to shovel and sift through mud and sand to find tasty tidbits like crustaceans, mollusks, and buried aquatic insects. Interestingly, their bill has over 100 tiny projections on the edges called lamellae that help filter out the food they want to eat. An interesting behavior observed with Northern Shovelers is their ability to “team up” to find food. Flocks of them will sometimes swim in circles together to help stir up food!
Males make a guttural “took-took” sound during courtship, when alarmed, and in flight. Females make a nasally-sounding quack.
#3. Gadwall
- Mareca strepera
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males have an intricate pattern of gray, brown, and black feathers, which look like white-fringed “scales.” Brown head and dark grey or black bill. The back is covered with medium and dark brown feathers. Males have a dark bill.
- Females are mottled shades of brown with a dark orange-black bill. They look similar to female Mallards.
- Both sexes have a white patch (much smaller on females) on their wings, visible when flying.
Gadwalls are easy ducks to overlook in Montenegro!
Unlike most other species, males don’t sport any patches of blue, green, or white plumage. Instead, look for their soft brown and gray plumage with intricate patterns. They spend most of their time in small ponds that have lots of vegetation.
Gadwalls have a funny habit of stealing food from diving ducks upon surfacing! This behavior is seen more often in the summer when animal matter can make up to 50% of their diet, whereas it drops to around 5% in winter. Submerged aquatic vegetation is their primary food source.
If you hear someone burping and you’re near water, then it may be a male Gadwall. Their short, reedy calls are often described as “burps.” Females make quacking noises and sound similar to Mallards, except their call is a bit more high-pitched.
#4. Common Goldeneye
- Bucephala clangula
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males have dark green heads, bright yellow eyes, and distinctive white cheek patches. Their bodies are mostly white, with a black back and rump.
- Females have a brown head, a short dark bill with a yellow tip at the end, and a pale yellow eyes. Look for their white neck collar and grayish bodies.
Common Goldeneyes are expert diving ducks in Montenegro.
These birds can stay underwater for up to a minute as they search for their prey, including aquatic invertebrates, fish, and fish eggs, along with seeds and tubers from submerged vegetation.
Luckily, their population has remained strong and stable. One of their biggest threats is that they are cavity nesters and rely upon forestry practices that don’t cut down dead trees. Many dedicated people have put up nest boxes in their breeding range to help provide more adequate nesting spots.
Many people refer to the Common Goldeneye as the “whistler” because their wings make distinctive whistling noises when flying. Both males and females are generally silent ducks except during courtship.
#5. Eurasian Wigeon
- Mareca penelope
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males have a chestnut head and neck with a white forehead, pinkish breast, and gray, white, and black body.
- Females are gray and light brown overall with dots and mottling on the head and body.
The Eurasian Wigeon spends its breeding season in the north and migrates south for the winter. Interestingly, this species occasionally makes its way to North America, where it cross-breeds with the American Wigeon. Hybrids almost always look more like Eurasian Wigeons, although some keep the American Wigeon’s signature green eye patch.
This species is relatively helpless against predators, so they use safety in numbers to protect themselves. You can find nonbreeding Eurasian Wigeons in open wetlands, where they form large protective flocks. Although, you may hear this noisy species long before you see it!
Listen for the male’s sharp whistle, which sounds like “pjiew pjiew” or the female’s low “rawr” noise.
#6. Common Pochard
- Aythya ferina
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males have a chestnut-colored head with a black neck and bill, white body, and gray tail. Their eyes are bright orange.
- Females are mottled chestnut all over, with a dark brown or gray bill.
Look for Common Pochards in Montenegro in wet habitats with vegetation.
These long-billed ducks make their homes in marshland and near lakes. In some areas, their populations are increasing, although modern land development threatens their habitat.
Like many ducks in Montenegro, this species is very gregarious and forms large flocks during the winter. It will even join flocks of other diving ducks, including the Tufted Duck. The most important reason for flocking behavior is to protect themselves from predators, which are much more likely to go after a single bird than a group of thousands!
Females make a gravelly growling noise, while males have a high, nasally whistle that cuts off sharply at the end.
#7. Muscovy Duck
- Cairina moschata
Identifying Characteristics:
- Both sexes are black and white, but the pattern of color is highly variable. Adults have bare skin on their faces, which looks like a pink mask. Their bills can be yellow, pink, black, or a combination of these colors.
- Males’ black feathers are iridescent, giving off a greenish sheen in the sunlight.
- Females lack the green tint and are usually more drab looking.
Identifying the Muscovy Duck can be challenging because this domesticated breed has many color variations. The easiest way to tell if you’ve seen this species is by its size since it’s larger than other ducks in Montenegro.
Muscovy Ducks are native to South America, where they’ve been domesticated since the pre-Columbian era by Native Americans. They are bred primarily as a food source. They were originally brought to Montenegro as farming stock, but some Muscovy Ducks escaped and established feral colonies in the wild. Interestingly, this breed is the ONLY domesticated duck that isn’t a descendant of the Mallard!
Today, there are feral populations of Muscovy Ducks found all over the world. In combination with wild subspecies, it’s one of the most widespread ducks. Their tolerance for cold weather and human presence makes them the perfect species for population growth, even outside their natural habitat. Look for Muscovy Ducks alongside lakes, rivers, and ponds in populated areas.
#8. Garganey
- Spatula querquedula
Identifying Characteristics:
- Males are a mix of brown, gray, white, and black. Their bills are black, and they have a white stripe above the eye. In flight, a blue-green patch framed in white appears on the lower wing.
- Females have the same coloring but are much less pronounced than males.
The Garganey is a common duck in Montenegro during the summer breeding season.
As a strict migratory species, the entire population moves south during the winter. This is unusual among ducks since most species have at least some year-round residents.
Unlike diving ducks, Garganeys forage their food from the water’s surface, skimming aquatic plants and insects. They dip their bill into the water and shake their heads often, which makes them look like they’re washing their faces. 🙂
But their feeding style isn’t the only thing that’s a little quirky about the Garganey. When calling, the male makes an exaggerated nodding motion with his head and neck, then releases a shrill clicking noise that sounds like a bug! Finally, he shakes his tail feathers rapidly as if he’s dancing. It’s truly something to watch!
Do you need more help identifying ducks in Europe?
These titles will provide you with more information!
Which of these ducks in Montenegro have you seen before?
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