Columbia County borders a large river and is speckled with numerous lakes, ponds, and streams, making it a fantastic place to find ducks, geese, and swans. Here are some species you might see.
Canada Goose – Large goose with light breast and mildly sloped forehead. Several subspecies here, at least one breeding unlike Dusky and Cackling which only winter in Oregon. (photo © gutfeeling )
Dusky Canada Goose – Darker breast than other subspecies of Canada Goose. A Sensitive Species, wintering habitat limited to the Lower Columbia and Willamette Valley. (photo © Robin Gwen Agarwal )
Cackling Goose – Smaller than Canada Goose, with shorter bill and abruptly sloping forehead. Previously wintered in central California but now shifted to our region. (photo © Andy Frank )
Black Brant – A small goose with black chest and no cheek patch. Usually eats sea-grass but sometimes ventures inland to agricultural fields. A Sensitive Species in Oregon. (photo © Mike Patterson )
Greater White-fronted Goose – A grayish-brown goose with orange feet and white front of face. Smaller with a narrower bill base than a domestic Greylag Goose. (photo © Patricia Teague )
Emperor Goose – Distinguished by orange feet and white head and back of neck. A northern species considered Near Threatened and rarely seen in our region. (photo © Mike Patterson )
Snow Goose – White phase nearly all white with black wingtips, blue phase is grayish body with white head and neck. Legs are pink. Smaller than most white domestic geese. (photo © Patricia )
Ross’s Goose – Similar to Snow Goose but smaller with shorter bill and lacks black line on “lips”. Blue phase has back of neck darker than front. Rarely seen in our region. (photo © cgates326 )
Tundra Swan – Far larger than Snow Goose with black bill and facial skin and no black wingtips. Our most common swan, wintering in bodies of water along the Columbia. (photo © Ken Chamberlain )
Trumpeter Swan – Has different shape to black face and lacks yellow spot on bill’s base that Tundra Swan often shows. Made comeback from Endangered status but still Sensitive Species. (photo © Andy Frank )
Surf Scoter – Unique shape and color to bill. Male has white forehead and female a light vertical oval behind bill. A large diving sea duck that comes inland occasionally in winter. (photo © Ross Millikan )
White-winged Scoter – White wing patch sometimes hidden. White “teardrop” behind eye on male, female has horizontal light patches. Rare visitor more at home in the ocean. (photo © Sally Anderson )
Common Goldeneye – Both males and females have distinctly colored eyes and sharp contrast between head and neck. Another tree cavity-nesting diving duck. (photo © Frank Sengpiel )
Barrow’s Goldeneye – Males have less white on sides than Common Goldeneye, and females a more yellow bill. A rare visitor in our area, requires forests to nest. (photo © Karen Steve Smith )
Greater Scaup – Male’s greenish iridescence is only visible in good light. Female has white patch in front of bill. Prefers coastal bays and estuaries but does come to inland lakes. (photo © Collencraig )
Lesser Scaup – Male’s purple iridescence usually looks dark. Both sexes have more cornered back of head than Greater Scaup. Prefers freshwater, diving into bottom mud for mollusks and plants. (photo © FreckLes )
Mallard – Blue or purple wing patch helps identify this large duck in flight. Our most common, adaptable duck, able to utilize practically any body of water. (photo © solkokov2002 )
Green-winged Teal – Our smallest dabbling duck. Males have green stripe on head and both sexes have distinctive cream stripe on rear and green wing patch. (photo © Tommy Farquhar )
Cinnamon Teal – Larger than Green-winged Teal with larger bill. Females have blue wing patch in flight, males have both green and blue. Breeds in marshes and ponds in our area. (photo © dlbowls )
Blue-winged Teal gregslak )
Northern Pintail – Large duck with a dark bill, long neck, and long tail. Females and non-breeding males have plain heads with only a very faint eyestripe. (photo © Javier Quiroz )
Wood Duck – This unique duck is one of our few year-round residents, nesting in woodpecker holes in large trees above lakes. It dabbles for food in both land and water. (photo © bwood708 )
Also seen passing through Columbia County on very rare occasions are Domestic Swan Goose, Domestic Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, and Harlequin Duck.
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