Goldeneye duck
The male goldeneye adds sparkle to winter days with bright amber eyes, a black-green head, and black-and-white body and wings. The chocolate brown headed female has one bright eye that gives this species its name. These ducks have a unique head that dives for food, eating mostly aquatic invertebrates and fish. They nest in tree holes in the forests of Canada and Alaska; look for them in large rivers, lakes, and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts during the winter. More information about identity
An image of a normal Goldeneye range map
All years
Reproduction
Migration
Non-breeding
Nearby map from Bird of the World
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Goldeneyes usually breed in the boreal forest, so winter is the best time for most people in North America to see them. Look for them in groups on the big water. Most of the golden eyes are covered in coastal waters, but you can still easily find them in the lakes in the countryside. In the fall, they migrate late, usually arriving after the lakes have receded. Look for their distinctively shaped heads and bright yellow eyes that can be seen from amazing distances. Birds may disappear suddenly as they dive for food, but watch for them to rise after about 10 minutes. OTHER NAMES
Porron Osculado (Spanish)
Goldeneye (French)
Back-to-back tips
Consider installing nest boxes to attract breeding opportunities. Be sure to set it up well before the birth. Add a guard to prevent predators from attacking eggs and children. To learn more about birdhouses, see our page on attracting birds. You'll find plans for building the right size birdhouse on our entire birdhouse site.
Interesting facts
Hunters have nicknamed the common Goldeneye a "snooper" for its distinctive racing wing sound. Cold emphasizes the sound.
The female Common Goldeneye usually lays her eggs in another female's nest, usually in a nest box. It can also lay eggs in the nests of other species of ducks. Barrow's and Barrow's goldeneyes nest in each other's nests, and wood ducks and woodpeckers often nest in golden nests. Like Wood Ducks, Common Goldeneyes use nesting boxes to replace holes in wood. Some return to the same box every year. Golden-eyed chicks leave the nest a day after hatching. The first stage can be a doozy, with nests placed in tree trunks up to 40 feet high. As the woman stood at the bottom of the tree screaming, the disgusting chicks came out of the nest one by one and fell to the ground.
Once the ducklings leave the nest, they may be feeding and just looking for protection. Some females abandon their offspring soon after birth and the young will join other females. Such mixed animals, called "crèches", can also occur when a female loses a duckling after a fight with another female. The young disperse and mingle when the females fight, and not all return to their mothers at the end of the fight. Some or all of the ducklings may be passed on to the brood, usually the owner of the territory. A typical Goldeneye's eyes are gray-brown at birth. They turn purple-blue, blue, and green-blue as they age. When they are five months old, they have become light yellow-green. Eyes will be bright yellow in adult males and pale yellow to white in females. During the winter and early spring, yellowfin males perform a complex courtship display that includes up to 14 movements with names such as "masthead", "bowsprit" and "headbutt", in which a man leans his head back to touch. his horn, then went forward and picked up the water with his feet.
The oldest known golden eye was a man who was at least 20 years and five months old when he was found in Wisconsin in 2012. It was originally developed in Minnesota.
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