A common winter bird of Oklahoma, the Ring-necked Duck winters on lakes, rivers, ponds, yet very rarely on salt water. A breeder of the northeast, Boreal Forest, around the Great Lakes, and along western mountains, this striking duck is best identified by the crown at the peak of the head and the ring around the bill. The male's coloring is also very handsome. The female has a distinctive white eye ring and a strip at the facial end of the bill. She is various shades of brown with a gray face.
This diving duck is gregarious and will mix with many other diving ducks on wintering lakes. Many times they will be observed with scaups. They will fly directly up from the water without having to get that running start like many other diving ducks.
male Ring-necked Duck
Boomer Lake Park, 2015
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These are the likeliest of North American ducks to ingest lead shot from the bottom of wetlands, making them very susceptible to lead poisoning. This is another reason to advocate the eradication of lead shot, as it has a strong effect on our diving duck population. However it is difficult to remove what has already been deposited in the waterways.
The ring around its neck is almost never seen. It is a faint brownish band around the base of the neck, likely seen most commonly by duck hunters.
Pair formation begins in winter. The pulling back and thrusting forward of the head and rapid nodding of the head will be noted during this time, directed at females of the species.
Climate change predictions indicate that this bird will winter over most of the continental US and breeding areas will be heading in a northerly direction.
This small- to medium-sized diver has an apparent white wedge shaped coloration at the shoulder, which is readily visible while the bird is in flight.
Some of these neotropical migrants will go to Central America and the northern Caribbean.
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