The rusty red head of the male Canvasback is quite distinctive. The female is not as colorful, but the light brown and white body is quite interesting. Canvasbacks are a North American bird. They breed in western Canada, Alaska, and north-western U.S. They winter in the U.S. and Mexico.

Canvasbacks feed mainly by diving for aquatic plants. They also eat some mollusks, aquatic insects, and small fish. A reliable place to find them in the S.F. Bay Area is at Lake Merritt in Oakland, CA during the fall and winter.