Smaller flocks as well as gathering in numbers, the Common Goldeneye winters on bays, open lakes, and rivers. Another cavity nester, the species dives for fish, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. They have also been known to use the same nest cavity over the years.
The species has a tall, peaked head, a round cheek patch, and the plumage patterns for the males show its coloration to be mostly white while it visits in the winter. The female will have a mostly black bill.
A Boreal breeder, this duck can be seen wintering over the better part of the US. A medium sized sea duck, its Latin name means "bull head," having a similar head shape to the Bufflehead.
Where nest boxes have been offered, there are population increases. Far more prolific than Barrow's Goldeneye, the Common Goldeneye is a speedy flier known as "whistler," as its wings sound off. They fly in small compact clusters when they are on the wing.
Common Goldeneyes
Boomer Lake Park, 2017
These diving ducks forage solely under water and first breed at the age of two. However, first year females are on the hunt for nest sites in early summer. Pair formation usually occurs in later winter, and several males will court the same female, much like the more common Bufflehead. They perform many of the same rituals, including head pumps, exaggerated takeoffs and landings, etc.
It is suspected that climate change will take its toll upon breeding ranges, making them shrink as well as expanding winter ranges even more. This cold-hardy migratory bird is aggressive and territorial, and will be highly competitive with food and nest sites. Their breeding postures indicate the same type of behavior.
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