by Chris Pearce

Created on: April 20, 2008   Last Updated: December 06, 2008

The Barrow's goldeneye, or Bucephala islandica, is found mainly in lake and wooded pond areas in north-eastern America but also in Canada and Iceland. Its name comes from the Icelandic word for "bullhead". An adult is about 13 inches long with a wingspan of 31 inches. It is a waterfowl of the diving duck variety.

Adults have a large, oval shaped head with steep forehead and a fairly short bill. The male's head is metallic black and purple which becomes an iridescent green in the right light and angle. It has a defining yellow or golden eye and a white patch on its cheek. The bird has a black bill and back, while its wings are also black but with white patches or stripes. Its chest and underbelly are white. In contrast, the female's head is dark brown and its body is gray. Her dark gray bill has a pinkish yellow tinge. The feathers of Barrow's goldeneye change color with the seasons. The colors described above are those observed in the warmer months. Both males and females have a much duller coloring in the cooler months. Immature birds have similar coloring to the adult females except for a darker bill.

Barrow's goldeneye has a single mate and breeds from about two years of age. Pairing starts in the late winter. They build nests in tree cavities, although sometimes they will make a burrow in the ground, in a hollow stump, or in a rock crevice. Nests are made of small twigs and moss, with a lining of down. The birds are happy to use old nests. The female will lay about six eggs which are pale blue in color. Incubation time is around one month, before the young are hatched. A pair will usually have only one brood a year. Occasionally, they may have a second brood, especially if the first chicks die for whatever reason very soon after hatching.

The bird's habit of using a tree hole as a nest means it is often described as an arboreal duck, "arboreal" meaning "relating to trees". The main reason it nests in trees is to protect its young from predators. Sometimes the nest will be one or two miles from water. Within hours of hatching, the female somehow gets the ducklings to jump from the tree. Sometimes a nest will be 30 or more feet above the ground, so injury and death is a great risk. She will then lead her chicks to the nearest lake or creek.

Its main source of food is aquatic invertebrates such as mollusks. It will also eat fish eggs, fish, shellfish, insects, frogs, seeds, and certain plants. Barrow's goldeneye is an accomplished diver, frequently diving to the

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