by Frances Stanford

Created on: April 19, 2008   Last Updated: August 17, 2009

The Barrow's Goldeneye can be described as a unique bird. It has a longer life span that most other birds, with some birds of this species living for 18 years. The females of the species do not start to breed until they are three years old. They are not protective of their young. It is not uncommon for a female goldeneye to lay her eggs in the nest of another bird, whether it is a goldeneye or another species of duck. When the ducklings hatch, a single female takes care of many broods at the same time. The ducklings are independent from an early age and learn to feed on their own very quickly.

The Barrow's Goldeneye is a black and white diving duck commonly found on both eth Atlantic and pacific coasts of North America and in Northern Europe. For the most part, though, it is a bird of the western mountains of Canada.

These ducks are of medium size with a chunky body and large head. A typical size would be a length of 17-19 inches, with a weight of about 1 - 4 pounds. The male of the species has a purple head and neck, which looks black when not in the sun and there is a crescent shaped white mark on each side of the head at the base of the bill. The back is black with white spots and the bill is solid black. The female differs in size, being smaller than the male, but also has different coloring with a gray and brown head. The beak of the female is also smaller and is yellow.

The natural habitat of the Barrow's Goldeneye is mainly small clear lakes where the vegetation shows above the water and there are very few fish. This is because they feed mainly on aquatic insects and they would have to compete with the fish for their food. They usually nest in the tress of a forest

The only time you will hear any sound from these ducks is during courtship or when they are flying. When the male is courting the female, he will utter a soft Kaaa sound outside the nest. During flight, the ducks emit a whistling sound.

The Barrow's Goldeneye has eluded Canadian biologists who have spent years trying to gain information about their breeding habits. Through technology and satellite tracking, they have discovered that a small group of them breed in the Tadoussac region of Quebec. This is the only breeding evidence that exists about these elusive birds in North America.

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