Ring-necked Duck

The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) is a compact, medium-sized diving duck native to North America. Despite its name, the chestnut collar on the drake's black neck is exceptionally difficult to observe in the field, only visible at close range in perfect lighting. Instead, this species is far more readily identified by the prominent white ring near the tip of its bill, leading many birders to joke that it should have been named the 'Ring-billed Duck'. Highly active and gregarious, they are common sights on wooded ponds, beaver swamps, and small lakes during the winter months, often forming tight-knit rafts.

Identifying the Ring-necked Duck is highly straightforward once you know what features to look for, particularly when separating them from similar diving ducks like scaups.

Male (Drake)

• Head: Distinctly angular and peaked, with a sloping forehead. Dark plum purple-black sheen.
• Bill: Slate gray with a bold white subterminal band near the black tip, and a fine white line outlining the base of the bill.
• Chest & Back: Jet black breast and a solid black back. This solid black back is the easiest way to separate it from scaups, which have pale, vermiculated gray backs.
• Flanks: Pale gray sides separated from the black breast by a prominent, vertical white wedge/crescent near the shoulder.
• Eyes: Bright yellow.

Female (Hen)

• Plumage: Plain, grayish-brown overall with a slightly paler face, especially near the base of the bill.
• Head: Peaked head shape similar to the male. Features a thin white eye-ring that extends backward in a delicate white stripe (a 'mascara' effect).
• Bill: Muted slate-gray with a less prominent white band across the tip.
• Eyes: Dark brown.

Similar Species

• Lesser Scaup: Has a more rounded, tufted head shape, a flecked gray back, and lacks the vertical white crescent on the side.
• Greater Scaup: Larger, with a rounder head, gray-speckled back, and lacks the bold bill rings.
• Tufted Duck: A rare Eurasian visitor that has a distinct hanging crest on its head and clean white flanks, lacking the gray sides and white chest wedge of the Ring-neck.

Unlike many other diving ducks that prefer deep, open lakes or coastal marine bays, the Ring-necked Duck is highly drawn to shallow, freshwater configurations.

Breeding Habitat

During the spring and summer breeding seasons, they nest across the boreal forest zone of Canada and the northern United States. They prefer acidic wetlands, bogs, fens, beaver ponds, and marshes surrounded by emergent vegetation.

Winter and Migration Range

As cold weather sets in, they migrate south across the United States, Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean. In winter, they occupy shallow freshwater lakes, reservoirs, river floodplains, and agricultural ponds. They are far less common in saltwater estuaries, preferring to stay inland in sheltered, vegetated freshwater areas.

Feeding

Ring-necked Ducks are omnivorous diving ducks. They forage by diving underwater, propelled by their feet, to search for food along the muddy bottoms of shallow ponds. Their diet shifts seasonally: during the breeding season, they feed heavily on protein-rich aquatic invertebrates (midge larvae, dragonflies, snails, and caddisflies) to assist with egg production. During migration and winter, they transition to consuming seeds, leaves, and tubers of aquatic vegetation, such as pondweeds, sedges, and wild rice.

Breeding and Nesting

Pairs form during spring migration. The female selects a nest site situated in dense emergent vegetation close to open water, often on a floating mat of vegetation or a hummock. The nest is a bowl constructed of grasses and sedges, lined with down feathers pulled from her breast. A single clutch typically contains 8 to 10 olive-colored eggs, incubated solely by the female for about 25 to 29 days.

Vocalizations

They are generally quiet ducks, especially in winter. During courtship, the male makes a soft, hissing grunt or a low whistle while throwing his head back. The female can produce a harsh, growling 'screep' or 'scaup' alarm call when startled or protecting her brood.