Common Goldeneye

Adult males have a dark head with a glossy green sheen and a distinct round white patch below the eye, bright yellow eyes, black-and-white patterned back and sides, and a mostly white breast. Females have a brown head, a grey body, and a yellow-tipped bill. Juveniles resemble females.

Puffy dark head with green gloss, bright golden-yellow eye, prominent round white cheek patch, and striking black-and-white body pattern in males.

Length: 40-50 cm (15.7-19.7 in), Wingspan: 65-84 cm (25.6-33.1 in), Weight: 500-1300 g (1.1-2.9 lbs).

Generally quiet outside of breeding season; males give a high-pitched, rasping squeak or zzt-ik call during courtship displays.

Primarily carnivorous, feeding on aquatic insects, crustaceans, small fish, and mollusks by diving and foraging along the bottom.

Taiga lakes and rivers during the breeding season; sheltered coastal bays, estuaries, and large unfrozen lakes and rivers in winter.

Short to medium-distance migrant; leaves northern breeding grounds as waters freeze and moves to ice-free coastal and inland waters.

Nests in natural tree cavities or large nest boxes, often near water. Lays 6-11 olive-green eggs. Females incubate alone.

Barrow's Goldeneye, which has a crescent-shaped white facial patch instead of a round one and a steeper forehead.

Acts as an important predator of aquatic invertebrates, helping regulate populations of insects, crustaceans, and small mollusks in freshwater and marine habitats.

Least Concern (IUCN), with stable global population trends.

Look for them diving repeatedly in open water bodies during winter. They are easily spooked, so approach slowly and use binoculars from a distance.

Common Goldeneyes get their name from their brilliant yellow eyes. Their rapid, shallow wingbeats produce a distinctive whistling sound in flight, earning them the nickname 'whistler'.