Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangulaOrder: ANSERIFORMES Family: Geese and Ducks (Anatidae)

Codes: Common Name: COGO Scientific Name: BUCCLA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175141

Common Goldeneye: The male Common Goldeneye has white-barred black upperparts and white underparts. The head is iridescent green-black with a white circular patch between the yellow eye and gray bill.

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Common Goldeneye: Medium diving duck, white-striped black upperparts, white underparts. Head is iridescent green-black with white circular patch between yellow eyes and dark gray bill. Wings are dark with large white patches conspicuous in flight. Legs and feet are yellow. Swift, direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Common Goldeneye: Breeds in Alaska and across Canada to Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces, and south to mountains of Montana and Great Lakes. Spends winters in much of the U.S., wherever water is open. Breeds on wooded lakes and ponds; winters mainly on coastal bays and estuaries.

Topo Map: Duck-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"zee-zeee", "zee-zee", "jeee-ep"

Interesting Facts

The Common Goldeneye is the only duck in North America known to derive benefits from lake acidification. Many acid-tolerant insects provide plentiful prey, and most fish cannot live in these environments, thus reducing competition.

Females typically return to the areas where they hatched (philopatry), and once they breed, often return to the same nesting site year after year.

Their rapid wingbeats produce a loud whistling sound in flight, easily identified even when the birds cannot be seen; hunters call this species the "Whistler."

A group of ducks has many collective nouns, including a "brace", "flush", "paddling", "raft", and "team" of ducks.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Percevia^® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Common Goldeneye

● Song: "zee-zeee", "zee-zee", "jeee-ep"

● Foraging & Feeding: Common Goldeneye: Feeds on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, and aquatic plants; forages by diving from the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Common Goldeneye: Five to nineteen pale green or gray green eggs are laid in a down-lined tree cavity; often uses the same cavity in successive years. Nest is usually located near a pond, lake, or river, but may be found in woodlands up to a mile from water. Incubation ranges from 28 to 32 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Common Goldeneye: Male Barrow's Goldeneye has crescent-shaped spot in front of eye and glossy purple-black head.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with strong wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Common Goldeneye: Breeds in Alaska and across Canada to Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces, and south to mountains of Montana and Great Lakes. Spends winters in much of the U.S., wherever water is open. Breeds on wooded lakes and ponds; winters mainly on coastal bays and estuaries.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^Population

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight35.2 Ounces

Duck-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America