Voting rounds:

• Round 1: March 16 - 23 CURRENTLY LIVE
• Round 2: March 24 - 30
• Round 3: March 31 - April 6
• Semi-finals: April 7 - 13
• Finals: April 14 - 20
• Winner Announced: April 21

1. American Wigeon vs. Ruddy Duck

American Wigeon

Often seen grazing grass like geese. These clever ducks sometimes steal food from other ducks rather than finding it themselves.

Ruddy Duck

Male Ruddy Ducks are easy to spot during breeding season with their bright blue bill and stiff spiky tail. Males perform a distinctive bubbling courtship display, pattering their feet on the water to impress females.

2. Northern Pintail vs Harlequin Duck

Northern Pintail

This elegant duck is named for the long, pointed tail feathers of the male. Northern Pintails often nest in grassy areas, sometimes far from water, which can make their nests vulnerable to predators.

Harlequin Duck

Male Harlequin Ducks have striking blue‑gray plumage with bold white markings. They breed along fast‑moving mountain streams and spend the winter along rocky coastal shores.

3. Green-winged Teal vs Bufflehead

Green-winged Teal

One of the smallest ducks in North America, the male Green‑winged Teal shows a bright green patch behind the eye. They are fast flyers and often gather in large flocks.

Bufflehead

Named for its large, rounded head—resembling a small buffalo—this compact duck nests in tree cavities, often using old woodpecker holes. 

4. Gadwall vs Lesser Scaup

Gadwall

Gadwalls have subtle gray‑brown plumage, but reveal a black rear and white wing patches when they fly. They are common dabbling ducks in wetlands.

Lesser Scaup

A diving duck that feeds on aquatic invertebrates and plants. Lesser Scaup often gather in large flocks on lakes and coastal waters. 

5. Trumpeter Swan vs Red-breasted Merganser

Trumpeter Swan

The largest waterfowl in North America, the Trumpeter Swan nearly disappeared in the early 1900s but recovered thanks to major conservation efforts.

Red-breasted Merganser

Males have a shaggy crest and rusty chest. Their long, serrated bill helps them grip slippery fish underwater.

6. Canvasback vs Ring-necked Duck

Canvasback

Named for their pale back that resembles canvas, this diving duck has striking red eyes. They feed heavily on wild celery (Vallisneria americana).

Ring-necked Duck

Named for a subtle brown ring around the neck that is rarely visible. Birders often identify this duck by the white ring on the bill and its peaked head shape.

7. White-winged Scoter vs Common Goldeneye

White-winged Scoter

A large sea duck with a bold white wing patch visible in flight. These birds dive for mussels and other shellfish.

Common Goldeneye

Named for their bright yellow eyes, the Common Goldeneye produces a distinctive whistling sound with their wings during flight and nests in tree cavities.

8. Hooded Merganser vs Redhead

Hooded Merganser

Both males and females have a dramatic crest they can raise or lower. Like other mergansers, they use serrated bills to catch fish and sometimes lay eggs in the nests of other ducks.

Redhead

These ducks are named for the reddish head of the male. During migration they can form large flocks and winter in the southern United States and Mexico.

9. Long-billed Curlew vs Arctic Tern

Long-billed Curlew

The largest shorebird in North America, famous for their long down‑curved bill used to probe deep into mud and sand for insects and crustaceans.

Arctic Tern

One of the greatest travelers on Earth, Arctic Terns migrate from the Arctic to Antarctica every year, completing one of the longest migrations of any animal.

10. Wilson's Phalarope vs Marbled Murrelet

Wilson's Phalarope

In this species the female is more brightly colored, while the male incubates the eggs and raises the chicks—a rare reversal of typical bird roles.

Marbled Murrelet

Unlike most seabirds, Marbled Murrelets nest high on large mossy branches in old‑growth forests while feeding in coastal ocean waters.

11. Semipalmated Plover vs Glaucous-winged Gull

Semipalmated Plover

Named for the slight webbing between their toes, this small plover runs quickly across mudflats searching for insects and other small invertebrates.

Glaucous-winged Gull

A large Pacific Coast gull with pale gray wings that match their back. They are commonly seen along coastal cities, harbours, and shorelines. 

12. Black Oystercatcher vs Short-billed (Mew) Gull

Black Oystercatcher

A striking black shorebird with a bright orange bill used to hammer and pry open mussels and other shellfish.

Short-billed Gull

Recently split from the Eurasian Mew Gull, this smaller gull is common along the Pacific Coast and is an adaptable forager. 

13. Greater Yellowlegs vs Pigeon Guillemot

Greater Yellowlegs 
Named for their long bright yellow legs, these tall shorebirds wade through shallow water chasing small fish and aquatic insects. 

Pigeon Guillemot 
A black seabird with bright red feet and a bold white wing patch. They dive underwater along rocky coasts to catch fish and marine invertebrates. 

14. Rhinoceros Auklet vs Caspian Tern

Rhinoceros Auklet

Named for the small horn‑like projection on their bill during breeding season. These seabirds ‘fly’ underwater while hunting fish.

Caspian Tern

The largest tern in the world, recognizable by their large red bill and powerful plunge dives when catching fish. 

15. Ring-billed Gull vs Black Tern

Ring-billed Gull

Named for the black ring around their bill, this adaptable gull is often seen near lakes, beaches, and urban areas.

Black Tern

Unlike most pale terns, the Black Tern becomes dark charcoal in breeding season. They nest in freshwater marshes before migrating south for winter.

16. Spotted Sandpiper vs Bonaparte's Gull

Spotted Sandpiper

These small shorebirds are famous for their constant teetering tail as they walk along shorelines searching for insects and small aquatic prey.

Bonaparte's Gull

A small gull with a black head during breeding season. Unlike most gulls, they often nests in trees and feeds by picking insects from the water’s surface. 

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