Bird
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
A winter visitor to Alabama, found in all 67 counties and 11 habitats.
- Here
- Winter and on migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 67 counties
- Habitats
- 11

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Winter and on migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 67 counties
- Habitats
- 11
- Habitat models
- Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Alabama 11
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Coastal tidal marshes (salinity not stated)




Open, wet, seepage-fed bogs of the Coastal Plain and Sandhills, often with pitcher plants.
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.
Flat, poorly drained uplands and terraces with oaks, sweetgum and sometimes loblolly pine, wet in winter and dry in summer, but neither a floodplain nor a swamp.
Coastal marshes flooded by salty or brackish tides.

Other habitats in its models (37)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Alabama. Those recorded in Alabama first, the rest by region.
Elsewhere in the South (20)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Winter.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Winter.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Winter.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Winter.
Northeast (1)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Winter.
Land cover and other classes (16)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Winter.
- Central Appalachian Floodplain - Forest Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Winter, only within 30 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Winter.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Winter.
Seasons in Alabama
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 10 of 67 counties.
- Winter: does not nest here, in 66 of 67 counties.
Food plants
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.
Native plants in these genera 94
- Sago PondweedStuckenia pectinata
- Little River Water PlantainSagittaria secundifolia
- Short Beak ArrowheadSagittaria brevirostra
- Broadleaf ArrowheadSagittaria latifolia
- Chapman's ArrowheadSagittaria chapmanii
- Delta ArrowheadSagittaria platyphylla
- Dwarf ArrowheadSagittaria subulata
- Engelmann's ArrowheadSagittaria engelmanniana
- Grassy ArrowheadSagittaria graminea
- Hooded ArrowheadSagittaria calycina
- Longbeak ArrowheadSagittaria australis
- Quillwort ArrowheadSagittaria isoetiformis
- Threadleaf ArrowheadSagittaria filiformis
- Delta BulrushSchoenoplectus deltarum
- California BulrushSchoenoplectus californicus
- Canby's BulrushSchoenoplectus etuberculatus
- Common Three Square BulrushSchoenoplectus pungens
- Hardstem BulrushSchoenoplectus acutus
- Olney's ThreesquareSchoenoplectus americanus
- Softstem BulrushSchoenoplectus tabernaemontani
- Swaying BulrushSchoenoplectus subterminalis
- Fern PondweedPotamogeton robbinsii
- Clasping-leaf PondweedPotamogeton perfoliatus
- Illinois PondweedPotamogeton illinoensis
Plant genera in its diet records (11)
- Stuckenia Roots and leaves. 8 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
- Sagittaria Roots. 5 diet records. 12 native plants in Alabama
- Schoenoplectus Seeds and roots. 3 diet records. 8 native plants in Alabama
- Potamogeton Seeds. 2 diet records. 10 native plants in Alabama
- Vallisneria Flowers and leaves. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
- Chara Leaves. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Alabama
- Cyperus Roots. 1 diet record. 44 native plants in Alabama
- Lemna Leaves. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Alabama
- Polygonum Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Alabama
- Ruppia 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Alabama
- Scirpus Seeds. 1 diet record. 8 native plants in Alabama
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in Alabama, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Birds 88
- Black-throated Blue WarblerDendroica caerulescens
- Louisiana WaterthrushSeiurus motacilla
- Evening GrosbeakCoccothraustes vespertinus
- Magnolia WarblerDendroica magnolia
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Wilson's WarblerWilsonia pusilla
- Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum
- American WoodcockScolopax minor
- AnhingaAnhinga anhinga
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
Plants 418
- Elliott's BlueberryVaccinium elliottii
- White Panicled Aster; Eastern Lined AsterSymphyotrichum lanceolatum var. latifolium
- Possumhaw HollyIlex decidua
- Cherrybark OakQuercus pagoda
- Appalachian Orange ConeflowerRudbeckia umbrosa
- Rudbeckia fulgida var. spathulataRudbeckia spathulata
- Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata
- Southern Shagbark HickoryCarya carolinae-septentrionalis
- Spruce Pine; Walters Pine; Cedar PinePinus glabra
- Spreading SedgeCarex laxiculmis
- Louisiana SedgeCarex louisianica
- Smooth Hedge-nettleStachys tenuifolia
Coastal dunes and beaches
Birds 115
- Black-bellied PloverPluvialis squatarola
- Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoa
- Seaside SparrowAmmodramus maritimus
- Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseus
- Wilson's PloverCharadrius wilsonia
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Horned LarkEremophila alpestris
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed SparrowAmmodramus nelsoni
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- Red KnotCalidris canutus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
Plants 134
- Beach Morning-gloryIpomoea imperati
- Railroad VineIpomoea brasiliensis
- Cruise's GoldenasterChrysopsis cruiseana
- Godfrey's Golden AsterChrysopsis godfreyi
- Seabeach KnotweedPolygonum glaucum
- Southern Seaside SpurgeEuphorbia bombensis
- Agalinis harperiAgalinis harperi
- Panicum amarum var. amarumPanicum amarum var. amarum
- Largeleaf PennywortHydrocotyle bonariensis
- Dune Marsh-elderIva imbricata
- Pinewoods FingergrassEustachys petraea
- Gulf Coast Sea RocketCakile constricta
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Birds 134
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- Black-bellied PloverPluvialis squatarola
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufus
- Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
- Buff-bellied HummingbirdAmazilia yucatanensis
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed SparrowAmmodramus nelsoni
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Thayer's GullLarus thayeri
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
Plants 38
- Slender FimbryFimbristylis autumnalis
- White WillowSalix alba
- Purple SpikerushEleocharis atropurpurea
- Blue MistflowerConoclinium coelestinum
- BagpodSesbania vesicaria
- Cyperus ochraceusCyperus ochraceus
- Tropical FlatsedgeCyperus surinamensis
- Blunt Spike RushEleocharis obtusa
- Indian JointvetchAeschynomene indica
- Reimar GrassPaspalum eglume
- Bristly SedgeCarex comosa
- ChaffweedCentunculus minimus
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Canvasback
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)
- Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab) (CC0 1.0), diet records by plant genus


























































