Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck, male

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Ring-necked Duck, female

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Other Names
4. Cool Facts
5. Full detailed species account

The most common diving duck to be found on small ponds in migration, the Ring-necked Duck is more easily recognized by the bold white ring around its bill than the subtle purplish one around its neck.

Description

• Medium-sized diving duck.
• Bump or peak on back of head.
• Bill bluish with white ring near black tip.
• Male with black head, chest, back, and rear end, gray sides, and a white stripe up the shoulder.

• Size: 39-46 cm (15-18 in)
• Wingspan: 62-63 cm (24-25 in)
• Weight: 490-910 g (17.3-32.12 ounces)

Sex Differences

Breeding male bold black-and-white; female drab brown with white eyering.

Sound

Usually silent, courting calls soft and growly.

Other Names

Morillon á collier (French)
Pato de collar (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Both the common name and the scientific name "collaris" refer to one of the Ring-necked Duck's most inconspicuous field marks. Rarely visible in the field, the chestnut collar on the black neck is noticeable when the bird is in the hand. Such subtle characters would have been obvious to the people first describing the duck from dead specimens.

Sources used to construct this page:

Hohman, W. L., and R. T. Eberhardt. 1998. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris). In The Birds of North America, No. 329 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.