Bucephala clangula
The courtship display of the male Common Goldeneye is one of nature's most entertaining slapstick routines. In winter and spring, the male arches his large green head back until his bill points skyward; then he produces a seemingly painful peent. Completely unaffected by this chiropractic wonder, he repeatedly performs this ritual, often to rather disinterested females. Wintering Common Goldeneyes routinely remain in areas of open water across North America. At this time of year they tend to prefer the slow-flowing water of lakes, cooling ponds and reservoirs. Goldeneyes are frequently called 'whistlers,' because the wind whistles through their wings when they fly. |
I.D.: General: medium-sized, chunky duck; sloping forehead with a peaked head; black wings with large, white patches; bill is about half as long as the head width; golden eyes. Male: dark green head; round, white cheek patch; dark bill; dark back; white sides and belly. Female: chocolate brown head; lighter breast and belly; gray-brown body plumage; dark bill, tipped in yellow during summer. Size: L 16-20 in. (41-51 cm). Range: common winter resident in the southern and central U.S. Rockies; common migrant in the Canadian and northern U.S. Rockies. Habitat: ponds, lakes and rivers in the montane. Nesting: typically at low elevations in forested regions of Canada and Alaska; often close to water, but occasionally quite far from it; cavity nest, up to 60 ft. (18 m) high, is lined with wood chips and down; will use nest boxes; female incubates 6-9 eggs for 28-32 days; ducklings leave the nest after 2-3 days. Feeding: dives underwater for aquatic insect larvae, crustaceans, tubers and sometimes small fish. Voice: wings whistle in flight. Male: courtship calls are a nasal peent and a hoarse kraaagh. Female: harsh croak. Similar Species: Barrow's Goldeneye: male has a large, white, crescent-shaped cheek patch and white 'fingerprints' high on the back; female has more orange on the bill. |
