Next to pintails and canvasbacks, redheads are one of my favorite ducks. I like their stately look. The large, prominent head of drakes is a color of 'red' hard to describe. I wouldn’t call it red and it’s not really rust, maroon, crimson, cinnamon or brick either. The color is a little bit of all especially in changing light. Regardless of what you call it, it stands out. And that yellow eye punctuates their look.

Redheads are social ducks often seen in large numbers. The first very large flock I saw was over Core Sound, North Carolina. I was in a marsh at least a half-mile or more from the sound. It was early morning. I walked for a distance and stopped. There was a distinct buzzing sound. My first thought was "oh snap" I stumbled into a nest of bees, hornets or wasps. Somewhat concerned and frozen in place, I looked in every direction. The source of the buzzing was not obvious. I scanned my surroundings and then noticed an unusual cloud on the horizon. With binoculars I could see that it wasn't a cloud; it was ducks, and it was the source of the buzzing sound. The cloud of ducks was a cloud of Redheads! A huge flock, many thousands, were flying north to some location that only they know.

The epicenter of North Carolina’s winter population of Redheads is Core Sound and eastern Pamlico Sound. They also occur in small numbers to the north and south, and occasionally on inland lakes. These were photographed at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge on the Outer Banks where several thousand spend the winter months.