Common goldeneye
Common goldeneye | |
---|---|
Adult male | |
Adult female | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Anseriformes |
Family: | Anatidae |
Genus: | Bucephala |
Species: | B. clangula
|
Binomial name | |
Bucephala clangula | |
Subspecies | |
(Eurasian goldeneye)
(American goldeneye) | |
Synonyms | |
|
The common goldeneye or simply goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) is a medium-sized
Common goldeneyes are aggressive and territorial ducks, and have elaborate courtship displays.[2]
Description
Adult males range from 45–51 cm (18–20 in) and weigh approximately 1,000 g (2.2 lb), while females range from 40–50 cm (16–20 in) and weigh approximately 800 g (1.8 lb).[2] The common goldeneye has a wingspan of 77–83 cm (30–33 in).[4] The species is named for its golden-yellow eyes. Adult males have a dark head with a greenish gloss and a circular white patch below the eye, a dark back and a white neck and belly. Adult females have a brown head and a mostly grey body. Their legs and feet are orange-yellow.
Two subspecies are generally recognized: the nominate Eurasian subspecies Bucephala clangula clangula and the North American B. c. americana. Americana has a longer and thicker bill than clangula.[5]
Habitat and breeding
Their breeding habitat is the
Natural tree cavities chosen for nest sites include those made by broken limbs and those made by large woodpeckers, specifically pileated woodpeckers or black woodpeckers.[8] Average egg size is a breadth of 42.6–44.0 mm (1.68–1.73 in), a length of 58.1–60.6 mm (2.29–2.39 in) and a weight of 61.2–66.6 g (2.16–2.35 oz).[2] The incubation period ranges from 28 to 32 days. The female does all the incubating and is abandoned by the male about 1 to 2 weeks into incubation. The young remain in the nest for about 24–36 hours. Brood parasitism is quite common with other common goldeneyes,[9] and occurs less frequently with other duck species. The broods commonly start to mix with other females' broods as they become more independent or are abandoned by their mothers.[10] Goldeneye young have been known to be competitively killed by other goldeneye mothers, common loons and red-necked grebes.[2] The young are capable of flight at 55–65 days of age.
Diet and predators
Common goldeneyes are diving birds that forage under water. Year-round, about 32% of their prey is
They themselves may fall prey to various
Conservation
The common goldeneye is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (
Gallery
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Male portrait
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Female portrait
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Just after a dive - showing clear nictitating membrane
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With anorthern crayfish(Orconectes virilis)
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ doi:10.2173/bna.170.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ^ "Common Goldeneye Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-26.
- ISBN 978-0691162669.
- ISSN 1474-919X.
- ISSN 1365-2664.
- ISBN 9781421407517.
- ISSN 0006-3657.
- ISSN 0008-4301.
- ^ Cottam, Clarence (April 1939). Food Habits of North American Diving Ducks (Report). Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ "Common Goldeneye Minnesota Conservation Summary" (PDF). Minnesota Audubon. 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- JSTOR 23735678.
External links
- "Common goldeneye media". Internet Bird Collection.
- Common Goldeneye Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- eNature.com: Common Goldeneye
- Common Goldeneye wildlife photos and voice at nature-photos.org
- Feathers of Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) Archived 2018-03-04 at the Wayback Machine at ornithos.de
- Common goldeneye photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)
- Interactive range map of Bucephala clangula at IUCN Red List maps