As with the scaups, Redheads are diving ducks, much more likely to be encountered on area lakes and reservoirs than in the mountain rivers and few ponds of the park. It is regularly found from November through April in area lakes, but is not normally especially common and until 2005, had never been recorded within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The winter of 2004/2005, however, was a year of exceptionally high numbers for this species in both eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina (Jean Alexander and Charlie Muise, pers. com.). A close relative, the Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) was seen on Chilhowee Reservoir just outside of the park boundary in winter of 2003/2004, but has yet to be seen within the park.

Many female Redheads lay some or all of their eggs in the nests of other birds, mostly other ducks. This brood parasitism spreads the risk that their progeny are eaten or otherwise die while under parental care, but the ducklings do best if they are in the nest of another female Redhead (Ehrlich et al.1988). These females do not put all their eggs in one basket.

Seven to nine of these birds spent several days in the Cades Cove sewage treatment ponds in mid-February, 2005. This species may be more common during migration in the reservoirs along the park's southwestern boundary than is reported.

References:

Ehrlich, Paul R., David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye. 1988. The Birder's Handbook: a Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster/Fireside Books, New York. 785 pages.

Gough, G. A., Sauer, J. R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.