Common Goldeneye

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

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

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Seashore, rocky or sandy, Rivers

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Pale green or gray green

Number of Eggs:

5 - 19

Incubation Days:

28 - 32

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Lined with down.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Common Goldeneye: Medium-sized diving duck with white-striped black upperparts and 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. Female has mottled gray-brown back, chestnut-brown head, white neck ring, gray breast, white belly, yellow eyes, and yellow-tipped bill (bill may be all gray). Juvenile resembles female but has dark eyes and bill.

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.

Breeding and 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.

Foraging and Feeding

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

Vocalization

Common Goldeneye: Call is a high-pitched "jeee-ep."

Similar Species

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

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

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.

● 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

Underparts

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

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

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