Barrow's Goldeneye
Encyclopedia
Barrow's Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala
, the goldeneyes. This bird was named after Sir John Barrow.
Adults are similar in appearance to the Common Goldeneye
. Adult males have a dark head with a purplish gloss and a white crescent at the front of the face. Adult females have a yellow bill.
Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds primarily in northwestern North America
but also in scattered locations in eastern Canada
and Iceland
.
In Icelandic the bird is known as húsönd (house-duck); it is a common species of the Lake Mývatn
in the north of the country.
They are migratory
and most winter in protected coastal waters or open inland waters. For winter, it migrates to the coast. It is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe
and to southern North America.
These diving birds forage underwater. They eat aquatic insects, crustaceans and pond vegetation. They nest in cavities in trees, also in burrows or protected sites on the ground. Goldeneyes tends not to share habitat with the much more numerous Common Goldeneye
.
Goldeneye (duck)
Goldeneye are small tree-hole nesting northern hemisphere seaducks belonging to the genus Bucephala. Their plumage is black and white, and they eat fish, crustaceans and other marine life....
, the goldeneyes. This bird was named after Sir John Barrow.
Adults are similar in appearance to the Common Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....
. Adult males have a dark head with a purplish gloss and a white crescent at the front of the face. Adult females have a yellow bill.
Their breeding habitat is wooded lakes and ponds primarily in northwestern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
but also in scattered locations in eastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
In Icelandic the bird is known as húsönd (house-duck); it is a common species of the Lake Mývatn
Mývatn
Mývatn is a shallow eutrophic lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano. The lake and its surrounding wetlands have an exceptionally rich fauna of waterbirds, especially ducks...
in the north of the country.
They are migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
and most winter in protected coastal waters or open inland waters. For winter, it migrates to the coast. It is an extremely rare vagrant to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and to southern North America.
These diving birds forage underwater. They eat aquatic insects, crustaceans and pond vegetation. They nest in cavities in trees, also in burrows or protected sites on the ground. Goldeneyes tends not to share habitat with the much more numerous Common Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....
.
External links
- Barrow's Goldeneye videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Stamps (for CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
) with RangeMap - Barrow's Goldeneye photo gallery VIREO
- Barrow's Goldeneye, Environment Canada
- Barrow's Goldeneye, Talk about Wildlife