Barrow's Goldeneye

Bucephala islandica

Order ANSERIFORMES - Family ANATIDAE - Subfamily Anatinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A medium-sized black-and-white diving duck, the Barrow's Goldeneye was originally described from a population living in Iceland. It is, however, primarily a duck of the western mountains of North America.

Cool Facts

• The Barrow's Goldeneye is rather long-lived for a duck, with one individual reaching 18 years of age. Most females do not breed until they are three years old.
• Like the Common Goldeneye, the Barrow's Goldeneye is not too particular about holding on to its own offspring. A female may lay eggs in the nest of another goldeneye or other species of cavity-nesting duck. Once the ducklings come out of the nest, the broods of different females often come together and are taken care of by a single female. The young ducklings are highly independent, feeding on their own, and require little parental care.

• For a species with such widely separated populations, it is perhaps surprising that the Barrow's Goldeneye shows little variation from place to place. Those breeding in North America are essentially identical on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Female Barrow's Goldeneyes breeding in Iceland do not get as extensively yellow bills as the North American birds, but have only a yellow or orangish band on the outer third of the otherwise dusky bill.

Description

• Size: 43-48 cm (17-19 in)
• Weight: 480-1320 g (16.94-46.6 ounces)

• Medium-sized diving duck.
• Chunky body.
• Large head.
• Male white with black back and head, and crescent-shaped white spot on face.

• Large white patch across base of wing, conspicuous in flight.
• Steep forehead.

Sex Differences

Male patterned in bold black and white, female smaller and gray with brown head.

Male

Breeding (Alternate) Plumage: Head purplish-black. Bright crescent-shaped white patch on side of face at base of bill, thin at top, rounded at bottom. Sides, breast, belly, and secondaries bright white. Back, wings, and tail black. Black of back reaching onto shoulder. Series of white squares along sides above wings. Short, triangular black bill. Eyes golden yellow.
Nonbreeding (Basic) Plumage: like female, but with some black tinge at sides.

Female

Head chocolate brown. Back, wings, and tail slaty gray. Flanks, belly, and breast white. Eyes pale yellow to white. Short, triangular bill mostly yellow.

Immature

Immature similar to female. First winter male similar to adult male, but has browner head, gray sides and chest, and smaller and less distinct white crescent on face.

Similar Species

• Common Goldeneye very similar. Male Common Goldeneye has round white patch on face, more white on secondaries, less black on the back that does not extend onto the shoulder, a more peaked, greenish head, and a larger bill. Female Common Goldeneye has less rounded head, and a larger bill with less extensive yellow, usually confined to the tip.
• Male Bufflehead is smaller, with a larger white patch on face that is at the rear of the face, not at the base of the bill.

Sound

Silent except in courtship when male gives a soft "ka-KAA," and near nest where female makes soft "cuc" notes. Wings produce a loud whistling in flight.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from central Alaska southward through the mountains to Oregon and Colorado. Also in eastern Quebec and Iceland.

Winter Range

Winters along both coasts southward to northern states, and in southern part of breeding range. Also in Iceland.

Habitat

Breeds along lakes in parkland, especially alkaline lakes. Winters along rocky coasts.

Food

Aquatic invertebrates and fish eggs, occasionally small fish and vegetation.

Behavior

Foraging

Dives underwater to capture prey on bottom. Flocks often dive together.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest in tree cavity or nest box, lined with downy feathers from chest of female.

Egg Description

Glossy greenish.

Clutch Size

Usually 1-12 eggs. Range: 1-28.

Condition at Hatching

Covered with down, eyes open. Leave nest within two days after hatching.

Conservation Status

Populations appear stable.

Other Names

Garrot d'Islande (French)

Sources used to construct this page:

Eadie, J. M., J.-P. L. Savard, and M. L. Mallory. 2000. Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica). In The Birds of North America, No. 548 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.