Redhead

(Redhead)

By virtue of their coloration, they possess a congenital permit to be terrible and lascivious, which, even if never exercised, sets them apart.

Tom Robbins*
Wild Ducks Flying Backward
2005, p. 84

Robbins was actually writing of his infatuation with the red-headed femme fatale of the human species, but that lustrous, ruddy head of the male Redhead may grab you just the same.

Easily confused with the often seen Canvasback, the Redhead is smaller, has a yellow eye, and sports the sharp angular break between forehead and beak. You’ll want to know which one you are looking at, but they are both beautiful birds.

*Tom Robbins kept me enthralled and laughing through every one of his novels. He passed away in February, 2025. He will be sorely missed.