Top 20 Small Duck Species (Below 700g)
Ever wondered what the smallest ducks in the world are?
While we’re most familiar with medium-sized or large ducks, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate the other end of the spectrum: the tiny ducks. And there’s a lot to admire about them. Their small size isn’t just charming — it’s also practical. Like other small birds, these ducks need less food, can hide more easily from predators, and move quickly through water and reeds. They’re also often surprisingly agile and clever, using their size to their advantage in ways larger ducks cannot.
If you enjoy learning about tiny birds, you might also be interested in exploring lists of some of the smallest duck species.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of the world’s smallest duck species (weighing less than 700g), coming from different corners of the globe, ranked by average weight in grams.
Small Duck Species (Below 700g) at a Glance
| Duck Species | Average Weight (grams) |
|---|---|
| Blue-billed Teal | 53 – 288 g |
| Cotton Pygmy Goose | 185 – 312 g |
| African Pygmy Goose | 260 – 285 g |
| Eurasian Teal | 320 – 360 g |
| Ringed Teal | 370 g |
| Bernier’s Teal | 320 – 405 g |
| Bufflehead | 400 g |
| Baikal Teal | 430 – 440 g |
| Torrent Duck | 320 – 480 g |
| Silver Appleyard | 360 – 410 g |
| Mandarin Duck | 430 – 690 g |
| Wood Duck | 450 g |
| Marbled Teal | 450 – 590 g |
| Puna Teal | 425 – 580 g |
| Andean Teal | 484 g |
| Sunda Teal | 490 g |
| Harlequin Duck | 560 g |
| Smew | 610 g |
| Call Duck | 510 – 620 g |
| Hooded Merganser | 540 – 680 g |
List of the Smallest Duck Species
1. Blue-billed Teal (53–288 grams)
The Blue-billed Teal is one of the smallest ducks you can find, light enough to weigh less than a bar of soap. It loves quiet wetlands, ponds, and marshes across Africa, where it swims and feeds in small groups. This duck dabbles gently at the water’s surface, eating seeds, insects, and bits of plants. Though tiny, it’s active and quick, often spotted moving in lively pairs or small flocks.
2. Cotton Pygmy Goose (185–312 grams)
The Cotton Pygmy Goose is a small, graceful duck that looks almost too delicate to be real. It prefers calm lakes covered with floating plants like water lilies. Instead of diving, it picks food from the surface — mostly seeds and small insects. These ducks are shy and quiet, often staying hidden among leaves and flowers. When the sunlight hits their feathers, they shine beautifully with green and white tones.
3. African Pygmy Goose (260–285 grams)
The African Pygmy Goose is a bright little duck, easy to recognize with its glossy green back, white face, and yellow bill. Found across sub-Saharan Africa, it spends most of its time on still water filled with lilies. It feeds on seeds from the plants it floats among, and because it’s so small, it can easily hide from predators under thick vegetation. Its gentle nature and colorful feathers make it a favorite among birdwatchers.
4. Eurasian Teal (320–360 grams)
The Eurasian Teal is one of the smallest ducks in Europe and Asia, weighing just over 300 grams. It’s a lively little bird often seen in flocks during winter, especially in wetlands, lakes, and flooded fields. Males are easy to spot with their chestnut heads and green eye patches, while females are brown and well camouflaged. They feed mostly on seeds and tiny water insects, and during migration, they can travel surprisingly long distances for such small birds.
5. Ringed Teal (370 grams)
The Ringed Teal is a small and charming duck from South America, often found near forest ponds and quiet rivers. Its size and gentle nature make it easy to spot among tree branches or along shaded water edges. This duck has a soft, whistling call and loves to perch on branches — something not many ducks do! Its pink feet and delicate plumage make it one of the most attractive small ducks in the region.
Discover other ducks with pink feet: 5 Stunning Ducks with Pink Legs
6. Bernier’s Teal (320–405 grams)
Bernier’s Teal, also called the Madagascar Teal, is a rare duck that lives only in Madagascar’s wetlands and mangroves. Weighing just a few hundred grams, it’s small but very tough. Sadly, it’s endangered because much of its natural habitat has been lost. It feeds on tiny insects and crustaceans found in shallow water. Birdwatchers treasure a sighting of this duck — it’s not only small but also one of the rarest ducks in the world.
7. Bufflehead (400 grams)
The Bufflehead is North America’s smallest diving duck, and it’s full of personality. Weighing about 400 grams, it’s known for its fast flight and energetic dives. It nests in tree holes made by woodpeckers, often near northern lakes and ponds. Males have bright white patches on their heads that gleam like snow in the sun, while females are brown with small white cheek marks. These ducks feed on aquatic insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, diving under the water again and again to catch their meals.
8. Baikal Teal (430–440 grams)
The Baikal Teal is a small but striking duck from Asia, with bold colors and patterns. It breeds in eastern Russia and winters in East Asia, especially around Korea and Japan. Weighing less than half a kilogram, it spends its days dabbling for seeds, plants, and insects in shallow wetlands. It’s often seen in large flocks during migration, filling the sky with a soft hum of wings.
9. Torrent Duck (320–480 grams)
The Torrent Duck is a small, slender duck that loves rushing mountain rivers — a very unusual choice for a duck! Found in South America, from Colombia to Chile, it clings to rocks in fast-flowing streams, feeding on aquatic insects and larvae. Its size helps it stay light and quick in the strong current. Males are brightly patterned with white and black, while females are rusty-colored.
Discover other Mountain Ducks: 12 Mountain Ducks You Need to Know
10. Silver Appleyard (360–410 grams)
The Silver Appleyard is a small and cheerful duck, often kept on farms and in gardens for its calm nature and pretty silver-gray feathers. Despite being a domestic breed, it stays light and compact, weighing just around 400 grams. It’s friendly, active, and loves dabbling in shallow water for seeds, snails, and small insects.
11. Mandarin Duck (430–690 grams)
The Mandarin Duck is a true gem among small ducks. Native to East Asia, it’s famous for its stunning colors — bright orange, purple, and green — and its elegant shape. Males are especially eye-catching, while females wear softer brown tones. They live in wooded ponds and quiet rivers, nesting in tree hollows above the water. Though weighing under 700 grams, they are strong flyers and often migrate short distances in winter. Many people consider them symbols of love and happiness because they are often seen in pairs.
Discover other tree-nesting ducks: 23 Ducks That Nest In Trees
12. Wood Duck (450 grams)
The Wood Duck is North America’s version of the Mandarin Duck — small, colorful, and full of charm. Weighing about 450 grams, it’s perfectly built for life in wooded swamps and rivers. It nests high in tree cavities, and ducklings bravely leap from the nest to the ground when it’s time to leave! These ducks eat seeds, insects, and small plants, and their glossy feathers shine beautifully in sunlight. They’re also one of the few ducks whose numbers have increased thanks to strong conservation efforts.
13. Marbled Teal (450–590 grams)
The Marbled Teal is a gentle little duck with soft, sandy-colored feathers patterned like marble. Found in parts of Europe, Asia, and North Africa, it prefers quiet lagoons and shallow wetlands. Weighing under 600 grams, it’s light and graceful, often gliding silently across calm waters. Unfortunately, it’s now considered vulnerable due to habitat loss.
Discover other endangered duck species: 17 Most Endangered Ducks in the World According To IUCN Red List
14. Puna Teal (425–580 grams)
The Puna Teal lives high in the Andes Mountains of South America, where few other ducks can survive. It’s small and sturdy, weighing around half a kilogram, with a pale body and a striking blue bill. It feeds mostly on aquatic plants and small insects in high-altitude lakes. The thin air and cold temperatures don’t seem to bother it at all. This duck is a quiet survivor, perfectly adapted to life above the clouds.
15. Andean Teal (484 grams)
The Andean Teal is a small, calm duck that lives in the high wetlands of South America. Weighing around 484 grams, it’s perfectly adapted to cool mountain air and thin oxygen levels. You’ll often find it swimming in quiet lakes or feeding along the shore, where it picks up seeds, small plants, and insects. Its soft gray and brown feathers blend beautifully with the rocky landscape, helping it stay safe from predators.
16. Sunda Teal (490 grams)
The Sunda Teal is a modest-sized duck found across Indonesia and surrounding islands. At about 490 grams, it’s small but full of personality. These ducks are strong fliers and often move between islands looking for fresh feeding grounds. They prefer coastal lagoons and mangroves, where they dabble for plants, seeds, and insects. Their gentle quacking call and simple brown plumage make them easy to overlook — but for those who notice, they’re charming little birds.
17. Harlequin Duck (560 grams)
The Harlequin Duck might be small, but it has one of the boldest looks of all ducks. Weighing around 560 grams, it wears a striking pattern of blue, white, and chestnut that stands out against the rocks and waves. It lives along fast-moving mountain streams in summer and rocky coastlines in winter. Because it dives and swims in turbulent water, it’s both tough and agile.
18. Smew (610 grams)
The Smew is a sleek, small duck from northern Europe and Asia, weighing about 610 grams. Males are pure white with neat black markings, while females are gray with reddish-brown heads. It’s a diving duck, often found in lakes and slow rivers, where it hunts for fish and aquatic insects. In winter, Smews migrate south to warmer waters. They’re shy and quiet, but their crisp, clean look makes them stand out wherever they go.
19. Call Duck (510–620 grams)
The Call Duck is one of the smallest domestic ducks and a favorite among duck keepers. Weighing just over half a kilogram, it was originally bred to call wild ducks using its loud, cheerful quack. Nowadays, it’s mostly kept for its friendly personality and cute looks. Call Ducks love splashing in small ponds and are very social, often following people around like pets. Their playful nature makes them a joy to watch.
20. Hooded Merganser (540–680 grams)
The Hooded Merganser is a compact, striking duck from North America. Males are easy to recognize by the large white crest on their heads, which they can raise or lower like a fan. Weighing under 700 grams, they’re small but powerful divers, feeding mainly on fish and aquatic insects. They nest in tree holes near clear lakes and rivers.