Barrow's Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye is a diving duck closely related to and superficially similar to the Common Goldeneye, but generally restricted to more limited and localized ranges in western North America, plus Iceland and parts of eastern North America (Quebec/Labrador). The breeding drake shows a steep, high forehead and a head with a rich purplish-black gloss, marked by a distinctive white crescent (rather than round spot) between the eye and bill.

Females closely resemble female Common Goldeneye, with a chocolate-brown head and gray body, and are best separated by subtle differences in head shape and bill color/pattern where ranges overlap.

Key Field Marks

• Steep, high forehead with a more angular head profile than Common Goldeneye
• Breeding drake: crescent-shaped (not round) white face patch, purplish-black head gloss, black-and-white body with more extensive black spotting on the flanks/scapulars than Common Goldeneye
• Female: chocolate-brown head, gray body, similar to female Common Goldeneye

Similar Species

The Common Goldeneye has a rounder white face spot, a more gently sloping forehead, and a greenish (rather than purplish) head gloss. In areas of range overlap, careful attention to head shape and face-patch form is needed to separate the two species reliably.

Barrow's Goldeneye breeds primarily in mountainous regions of western North America (particularly the Rocky Mountains and interior British Columbia/Yukon), nesting in tree cavities or rock crevices near clear mountain lakes and rivers, as well as a smaller, disjunct population in eastern Canada around the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and in Iceland. It winters mainly along rocky Pacific coastlines and on ice-free lakes and rivers, with smaller numbers wintering along the Atlantic coast near its eastern breeding population.

Compared to the more widespread Common Goldeneye, Barrow's Goldeneye has a notably more restricted and patchy overall distribution.

Barrow's Goldeneye dives to feed on aquatic invertebrates, mollusks, and some fish and plant material, often foraging in cold, clear mountain lakes during the breeding season and along rocky, wave-swept coastlines in winter. Its habits closely parallel those of the Common Goldeneye.

The male's courtship display includes a similar head-throw posture to the Common Goldeneye, accompanied by low grunting and buzzing calls. As a cavity nester, the female lays 6-12 eggs in tree cavities, rock crevices, or nest boxes near water, and ducklings leap to the ground or water shortly after hatching.