Species
Common goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
A diving duck with a golden eye and a round white face spot, whose wings whistle in flight.
Photo Dori (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 40 to 51 cm long
- Weight
- About 600 to 1,400 g
- Habitat
- Large lakes, rivers and coastal waters in winter
- Diet
- Crustaceans, insect larvae, snails and small fish
- In Georgia
- A rare to uncommon winter visitor
- Voice
- Mostly quiet; the wings make a loud whistle in flight
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Male
- Black head with a green gloss and a round white spot in front of the yellow eye; white body; black back
- Female
- Grey body with a chocolate-brown head and a yellowish-tipped bill
- Told apart from
- Bufflehead, which is smaller with a large white patch behind the eye
- Told apart from
- Hooded merganser, which has a thin bill and a crest
- Where to look
- Large reservoirs and coastal waters, December to February
Behaviour
Goldeneyes dive for food on the bottom, turning over stones to find prey. Males display with a dramatic backward head-throw in late winter.
Why they matter
Goldeneyes nest in tree cavities in northern forests and winter on open water further south, and they dive in colder water than most ducks. Their numbers on a lake reflect how rich its bottom life is.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A tree cavity or nest box near northern lakes
Eggs — Usually 7 to 10
Incubation — About 28 to 32 days
Leaving the nest — Ducklings jump from the cavity a day or two after hatching
Flight — At about eight to nine weeks
Lifespan — Wild birds over fifteen years are recorded
Living around people
- Goldeneyes use large reservoirs in Georgia in winter and are shy of boats.
Misconceptions
- The whistling in flight is a call. It is the sound of the goldeneye's wings.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Wintering; courtship displays | Wintering | Migrating north | Nesting in tree cavities in the north | Incubating | Ducklings hatching | Ducklings growing | Young flying | Adults moulting | Migration begins | Moving south | Arriving in Georgia |
Where it lives
Recorded in 63 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamain winter
- Alaska
- Arizonain winter
- Arkansasin winter
- Californiain winter
- Coloradoin winter
- Connecticutin winter
- Delawarein winter
- Floridain winter
- Georgiain winter
- Idahoin winter
- Illinoisin winter
- Indianain winter
- Iowain winter
- Kansasin winter
- Kentuckyin winter
- Mainein winter
- Marylandin winter
- Massachusettsin winter
- Michiganin winter
- Minnesotain winter
- Mississippiin winter
- Missouriin winter
- Montanain winter
- Nebraskain winter
- Nevadain winter
- New Hampshirein winter
- New Jerseyin winter
- New Mexicoin winter
- New Yorkin winter
- North Carolinain winter
- North Dakotain winter
- Ohioin winter
- Oklahomain winter
- Oregonin winter
- Pennsylvaniain winter
- Rhode Islandin winter
- South Carolinain winter
- South Dakotain winter
- Tennesseein winter
- Utahin winter
- Vermontin winter
- Virginiain winter
- Washingtonin winter
- West Virginiain winter
- Wisconsinin winter
- Wyomingin winter
Canada
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