Medium-sized duck with a triangular head, steep forehead, and rather straight bill. White patch behind bill is usually crescent shaped. Small white spots along mostly black wing.
Jumps up slightly before diving underwater in search of aquatic invertebrates, fish eggs, and plant material.
In flight, white panels on wing don't reach the leading edge. White face patch is crescent shaped.
Medium-sized duck with a steep forehead that meets bill at an abrupt angle. Bill is blackish (female's is yellowish). White facial patch is crescent shaped.
Female has white collar that can be hidden depending on posture. Brown head contrasts with gray body. Ducklings are dark with white throats.
Medium-sized duck with a large head, steep forehead, and fairly straight, mostly yellow bill. Warm brown head contrasts with gray body.
Can form large flocks, in which males often display for females. Occurs on inland lakes and rivers as well as coastal waters.
Click on an image to compare
A small, stocky diving duck with a large, oddly shaped, oblong head. The bill is relatively small and the forehead relatively steep compared with a Common Goldeneye.
Larger than a Bufflehead, smaller than a Common Merganser.
crow-sizedFor a species with such widely separated populations, the Barrow’s Goldeneye shows little variation from place to place. All populations belong to the same subspecies. Female Barrow's Goldeneyes breeding in Iceland do not get extensively yellow bills like North American birds, having only a yellow or orangish band on the outer third of the otherwise dusky bill.
Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.
