Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
By Tom Dickson
Ever notice those white-marked buzz-bombs flying in tight formation up and down the Missouri, Yellowstone, and other major rivers all winter? They’re common goldeneyes, hardy mid-sized diving ducks that comprise the end of the annual fall waterfowl migration.
Goldeneyes are sure harbingers of winter. As old-time duck hunters say, “When you see dem goldeneyes, iss time to break out da ice skates, dats fer sure.”
Appearance
The common goldeneye’s scientific name derives from the Greek word
boukephalos, which means ox- or buffalo-headed, in reference to the bird’s
oversized head, and clangula, which is Latin for “small noise,” a
reference to the whistling sound made by the goldeneye’s wings in flight.
The bird’s common name comes from its bright amber-colored iris (though
it’s hardly unique among ducks, being also found on ringnecks, redheads,
and scaup).
In the air, the drake and hen goldeneye both look much whiter than most ducks, with a white breast and a large white patch on the wing. When on the water, look for the male’s dark green-glossed head and white round cheek patch.
The common goldeneye is easily confused with its cousin the Barrow’s goldeneye. Usually only biologists can tell the hens apart, but the male Barrow’s has a crescent-shaped cheek patch rather than the common’s round one. Both species of goldeneyes are strong fliers, and in flight their medium-sized bodies appear stout with short necks and large heads.
Sound
Whistling wings are a trademark of these little rockets, which fly in compact
clusters and are known as “whistlers” by some hunters. When
courting, the male makes a distinctively nasal pee-ik sound similar to
that of the nighthawk.
Food
This duck likes seafood: Fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans such as snails
and crayfish make up most (about 75 percent) of its diet. The rest is seeds,
roots, tubers, and other plant material. Strong swimmers, goldeneyes submerge
for as long as 40 seconds and dive to depths of 20 feet for food.
Courtship behavior
Male goldeneyes have the most spectacular spring courtship display of any
waterfowl, with much head pumping, neck stretching, splashing, and short
jumps or flights off the water.
Reproduction
Like wood ducks, goldeneyes nest in the cavities of old or dead trees, often
near ponds or lakes. They often return to the same tree year after year
to make their nest. The female lines the cavity with down and wood chips
before laying an average of nine pale blue-green eggs. Just a few days
after hatching, the goldeneye duckling jumps down from the nest cavity
to reach the ground or water.
Habitat
Common goldeneyes breed from Alaska, across the forested parts of northern
Canada to Newfoundland, and south to northern Washington, northern North
Dakota, northern New York State, and Maine. The birds winter from the southern
limits of their breeding range to the Gulf states. In Montana, they are
commonly seen this time of year along major rivers.
Migration
These are birds content to stay around cold and ice. They’ll stay on
a lake literally until the day it freezes up, and then move only as far as
a nearby river and stay there until it freezes. Often they’ll remain
in Montana throughout the winter.
Appeal
They aren’t a big part of Montana’s overall duck harvest, but
they are hunted, especially in late season, says Jim Hansen, FWP Central
Flyway biologist. Though some hunters say the birds don’t taste good,
Hansen says otherwise: “I just had a breast the other day.” He
says to get rid of any gamey smell, cooks should “cut off the skin
and fat.”
Status in Montana
The common goldeneye doesn’t breed in Montana but rather migrates through.
Its cousin, the Barrow’s goldeneye, does nest here along rivers and
lakes throughout much of southwestern Montana, especially in the Beaverhead
Drainage, the Three Forks area, and along the Yellowstone River.
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