Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
A striking medium-sized duck. Widespread across much of North America, Europe, and Asia, where it is found in a variety of wetland habitats. Breeds on lakes, ponds, and marshes, and winters on inland lakes and rivers or coastal bays and nearshore waters. Adult males have a black head with circular white patch at the base of the bill and a mostly white body with limited black. Females and first-year males have gray body and chocolate brown head. Bright yellow eyes usually stand out on all but first-year females. Very similar to Barrow’s Goldeneye. Males are easiest: Common has less black on the back, lacks a dark spur on the side, and has a circular (not crescent-shaped) white patch on the face. Females can be very difficult. Common usually has a dark bill with a small yellow patch near the tip, but rarely can have an entirely dull yellowish bill like Barrow’s. Head and bill shape are important: Common has more evenly rounded head with a peak in the center of the crown, and a longer, straighter-edged bill.
Identification
Adult males range from 45–51 cm (18–20 in) and weigh approximately 1,000 g (2.2 lb), while females range from 40–50 cm (16–20 in) and weigh approximately 800 g (1.8 lb). The common goldeneye has a wingspan of 77–83 cm (30–33 in). The species is named for its golden-yellow eyes. Adult males have a dark head with a greenish gloss and a circular white patch below the eye, a dark back and a white neck and belly. Adult females have a brown head and a mostly grey body. Their legs and feet are orange-yellow.<p>Two subspecies are generally recognized: the nominate Eurasian subspecies Bucephala clangula clangula and the North American B. c. americana. Americana has a longer and thicker bill than clangula.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Bucephala clangula
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Bucephala
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
The common goldeneye is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. Around 188,300 common goldeneyes were killed annually by duck hunters in North America during the 1970s, representing slightly less than 4% of the total waterfowl killed in Canada during that period, and less than 1% of the total waterfowl killed in the US. Both the breeding and winter habitats of these birds have been degraded by clearance and pollution. However, the common goldeneye in North America is known to derive short-term benefits from lake acidification.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Redwing
Turdus iliacus
Rather small, attractive thrush with bold whitish eyebrows, a variable orangey patch on each flank, and a yellow bill base. Shows rusty-orange underwings in flight. Breeds in wooded and forested habitats, especially with birch; in winter found mainly in open woodland, farmland with hedges, orchards, and parkland. Often in flocks, sometimes mixed with Fieldfares and other thrushes, feeding out in fields or in fruiting trees. Rich and lovely song is a series of burbling trills and whistles. Calls include a high buzzing “tseer” and short rattled phrases.
Madagascar Harrier-Hawk
Polyboroides radiatus
Large gray raptor with black wings and tail. There is a single white band through the tail and bare skin around the face that is normally yellow but which can flush bright red. Immature is brown, with a pale head and pale fringes on the wing that separate it from all other brown raptors in its range. Endemic to Madagascar, and found in a variety of habitats, including forest, scrub, and savannah. Absent from pure grassland and from the high mountains. Often soars. Call is a long, high whistle, often given in flight.
Gray-and-gold Tanager
Poecilostreptus palmeri
Chunky medium-sized tanager found in the canopy of lowland and foothill forest from extreme eastern Panama to northwest Ecuador. Unmistakable in range: pale silvery-gray overall with a black face, a black shoulder, and messy black and gold spotting on the breast and nape. Pairs or small groups are typically seen in the canopy, sometimes perched quite conspicuously at the edge of forest. Often follows mixed-species flocks.
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