Canvasback: Drake
Diving duck · Duck ID

Canvasback

Aythya valisineria · Long sloping profile, red head and a whiter-than-white back.

Drake. Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · source
Length
19–22 in
Weight
1.9–3.5 lb
Wingspan
31–35 in
Group
Diving duck

Typical adult size. Drakes run larger than hens.

Field marks

How to identify a canvasback

Drake

Chestnut-red head with a long sloping forehead that runs straight into a long black bill. Black chest and a very white body.

Hen

Pale gray-brown body with a sandy-brown head and the same long, sloping wedge profile.

In flight

Fast and direct, often in lines or V's. Drakes look strikingly white in the middle with dark ends.

Look-alikes

  • Redhead: Redheads have a round head, a steep forehead, a blue-gray bill and a grayer back.
  • Lesser scaup: Scaup are smaller with a dark head and a pale-blue bill.
Photos

Canvasback gallery

Canvasback: Hen
HenJudy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · source
Canvasback: In flight
In flightDominic Sherony · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Canvasback: Drake
DrakeJudy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · source
2026-27 bag limits

Canvasback limits in six Mid-South states

StateCanvasback daily limitPossessionTotal daily ducksSource
MississippiNov 27–29; Dec 4–6; Dec 9, 2026–Jan 31, 20272 a day3 times the daily limit
Not confirmed Opening-day possession wording in the Digest (check the official source)		6 ducks a dayMDWFP Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits · checked Oct 22, 2026
Mississippi rules
TennesseeNov 28–29; Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 20272 a day3 times the daily limit, except 1 times on opening day and 2 times on the second day6 ducks a dayTWRA Waterfowl and Migratory Birds · checked Oct 22, 2026
Tennessee rules
ArkansasNov 21–29; Dec 10–23; Dec 26, 2026–Jan 31, 20272 a day3 times the daily limit6 ducks a dayAGFC Waterfowl Season Dates, Rules and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026
Arkansas rules
LouisianaEast Zone Nov 21–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 31; West Zone Nov 14–Dec 6 and Dec 19–Jan 242 a day3 times the daily limit6 ducks a dayLDWF Seasons and Regulations · checked Oct 22, 2026
Louisiana rules
MissouriNorth Oct 31–Dec 29; Middle Nov 7–Dec 13 and Dec 19–Jan 10; South Nov 26–29 and Dec 7–Jan 312 a day3 times the daily limit6 ducks a dayMDC 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Digest · checked Oct 22, 2026
Missouri rules
KentuckyNov 26–29; Dec 7, 2026–Jan 31, 20272 a day3 times the daily limit6 ducks a dayKDFWR 2026–27 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Hunting Guide · checked Oct 22, 2026
Kentucky rules

Regular-season limits from each state’s official 2026-27 regulations. Possession limits count birds at home too. Federal rules apply on top of state rules, and some WMAs and refuges set stricter limits. Louisiana and Missouri set duck seasons by zone; the dates shown are for every zone.

Mid-South

When and where on public land

Timing

Arrives with hard cold in December; scattered in the Mid-South most years.

Habitat

Large open lakes and river backwaters with submerged plants. Watch the open lake at Reelfoot and big river oxbows.

Spot guides

Public land

Keep going

More diving ducks

Ring-necked duckA small diver with a peaked head and a white ring on the bill. Common in timber and beaver ponds.Lesser scaupThe bluebill. Gray back, dark head and a blue bill. Has its own bag limit by date.RedheadRound red head, gray back and a three-toned blue bill.BuffleheadA tiny diver. Drakes are mostly white with a big white patch on a dark head.

All species

See something wrong or out of date? Report a correction.