Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
A medium sized, migratory duck which can be seen around Montreal during the winter months in open water. Common Goldeneye dive for food. They build their nest in tree cavities.
| 🇫🇷 | Garrot à œil d'or |
| 🇩🇪 | Schellente |
| 🇲🇽 | Porrón osculado |
| Taxonomy | |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
How to Identify
I look at the color pattern of male, greenish black head with a white spot near the beak, and female, brown head, and the characteristic yellow ring around the eye to identify this bird.
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Characteristics
| Length | 40-51cm |
| Weight | 0.8-1.0kg |
| Wingspan | 77-83cm |
| Clutch Size | 4-9 eggs |
| Incubation | 27-33 days |
| Fledging | 56-65 days |
| Sexual Maturity | 2-3 years |
| Source | Wikipedia |
Where and When to Spot
I see them in small flocks in Rapids Park Lachine in the river during winter months only.
Observation Records by Park and Season
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parc de la Frayère | x | - | - | x |
| Parc des Rapides, Lachine | - | - | - | x |
"x" indicates the species was observed, while "-" indicates no observation. Lack of observation doesn't necessarily imply that the species is absent. Data is derived from our park visit journals.