photo by Phil Swanson

Aythya collaris
L 17″(43 cm).

Song or calls:
Listen (NGPC audio)

Usually silent, but males will give a soft whistle during courtship.

Description: Black back and breast, gray sides, vertical white stripe in front of folded wings, iridescent purple head, blue bill with two white bars and a black tip. Female is brown with a similar bill.

Habitat: Divers, like the Ring-necked Duck, use large lakes and reserviors during migration. In the breeding season they use acidic bogs and swamps bordered by shrubby cover.

Where in Nebraska: Common, locally abundant, regular spring and fall migrant across the state. Rare casual summer visitor statewide and an uncommon casual winter visitor. No recent breeding records for Nebraska.

Field Notes: Additional Information: Name comes from its cinnamon collar, but the collar is often hard to see in the field.

Fun Facts: The Ring-necked Duck has an iridescent collar around its neck giving it its name even though it has a white ring around its bill which is seen more in observation. The Ring-necked Duck was named such because the bird was first discovered and identified from dead specimens.

 
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