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Basic Description. The male Common Goldeneye adds a bright note to winter days with its radiant amber eye, glistening green-black head, and crisp black-and-white body and wings. The female has a chocolate brown head with the same bright eye that gives this species its name. These distinctively shaped, large-headed ducks dive for their food ...
Sep 14, 2023 · Dive into the fascinating world of the Common Goldeneye with this in-depth article.
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Common goldeneyes are diving birds that forage under water. Year-round, about 32% of their prey is crustaceans, 28% is aquatic insects and 10% is molluscs. [ 15 ] Insects are the predominant prey while nesting and crustaceans are the predominant prey during migration and winter. Locally, fish eggs and aquatic plants can be important foods.
Nest sites are in large tree cavities, 5-60' above ground, sometimes in abandoned buildings; will use nest boxes. Nest is depression in wood chips at bottom of cavity, lined with down. Where nest sites are scarce, females may lay eggs in each others' nests.
Eggs are from 61.2 to 66.6 grams. Females lay 1 egg every other day. (Eadie, et al., 1995) Common goldeneyes nest in tree cavities, but will accept nest boxes and occasionally are found in rock cavities. Females find nest cavities and line them with a nest bowl constructed of other materials and downy feathers.
Common goldeneyes are aggressive and territorial ducks and have elaborate courtship displays. They usually breed between December and May. The birds nest in cavities in large trees, where they return year after year, though they will readily use nest boxes as well. The female lays 4-9 eggs and the incubation period ranges from 28 to 32 days.
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Common Goldeneyes breed mainly in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, with smaller numbers in North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and the Northeast. They nest in holes in trees near lakes, rivers, or wetlands. Typical breeding sites feature lakes with abundant invertebrate prey and clear water offering good visibility and little emergent ...
