A male canvasback with a reddish head and white back swimming. — Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Canvasback

Aythya valisineria

North America's largest diving duck, named for the male's canvas-colored back and fond of wild celery.

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About the Canvasback

Canvasbacks are North America's largest diving ducks, 20 to 21 inches long and about 2.5 pounds. Breeding males have white bodies, black chests and tails, and chestnut heads; settlers thought their backs looked like canvas. They breed in the flooded prairies of the northern Great Plains. They dive for plant leaves, roots and seeds, especially wild celery, plus clams, insects and small fish.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Aythya valisineria^[1]
Size: 20 to 21 inches long; 31- to 35-inch wingspan.^[1]
Weight: About 2.5 to 2.7 pounds.^[1]
Diet: Water plants, especially wild celery, plus clams, insects and small fish.^[1]
Habitat: Flooded prairie wetlands; large waters with underwater plants in winter.^[1]
Where it lives: Breeds in the Prairie Pothole region of the northern Great Plains.^[1]
Group life: Large winter flocks with other diving ducks.^[1]
Babies: 5 to 12 eggs; ducklings hatch after 23 to 29 days.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

The canvasback's scientific name comes from its favorite food, wild celery.^[1]
Canvasbacks need a running start to take off.^[1]
Early settlers named them for the males' canvas-colored backs.^[1]

Vocabulary

diving duck: A duck that dives underwater to find food.
brood parasite: A bird that lays its eggs in another bird's nest.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
clutch: A group of eggs laid at one time.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Canvasback.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/canvasback (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Aythya valisineria (Canvasback).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22680364/137943278 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

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