Courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe common goldeneye is a small duck often seen in Bend’s Drake Park and other open waters.

Common goldeneye

Scientific name: Bucephala clangula

Characteristics: A medium-sized diving duck with white underparts and a dark back with white stripes on the sides; females have a grayish-brown body and white belly. The male has a glossy greenish-black head with a white, roundish spot located between the golden eyes and the bill, while the female’s head is brown. The duck’s dark wings have a large white patch that is visible in flight. Both sexes have golden or yellowish eyes.

Breeding: These birds breed in the northern U.S., Canada and Northern Territories and use a tree cavity, lined with down, as a nest site. Though the nest tree is often located near water, it may be up to a mile away from water; will also use a nest box. A female may lay up to 20 eggs in one nest, and the female incubates the eggs.

Range: Widespread throughout North America, these birds migrate through Central Oregon.

Habitat: Found along lakes, rivers, ponds and coastal areas.

Food: The birds dive underwater and forage on aquatic invertebrates, plants, small fish, crustaceans, amphibians and mollusks. These birds can dive to depths of 20 feet or more in search of food.

Comments: The young leave the nest site by gliding or flapping their tiny wings rapidly a day or two after hatching. Females often return to their natal areas to breed and will return to these sites year after year. The common name is derived from the coloration of the eye. The genus name means “buffalo-headed” in reference to the large head. The species name means “small noise” and is in reference to the whistling sound produced by the wings while in flight. “Whistler” is one of the birds’ nicknames.

Current viewing: Deschutes River, Hatfield Lakes, agricultural ponds, Drake Park and other open water areas in the region.

— Damian Fagan is an East Cascades Audubon Society volunteer and Central Oregon Community College’s Community Learning instructor. He can be reached at damian.fagan@hotmail.com.

Sources: Oregon Department of Wildlife Resources, Birds of Oregon and “The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds” by John Terres