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Cavity Nester
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
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Bucephala islandica
Mountain cousin of the Common Goldeneye, with a purplish-glossed head and a distinctive white crescent (not a round dot) on the face. Largely a Pacific Northwest and Mountain-West specialist.
Widespread and abundant; no known immediate threats to the population.
The white face crescent (instead of the round 'dot' of Common Goldeneye) is the cleanest field mark for separating the two species at a distance.
Far less abundant than Common Goldeneye, North American population is under 200,000 birds.
Three distinct breeding populations: Pacific Northwest, central Quebec/Labrador, and Iceland.
Females are highly aggressive territorial defenders, sometimes drowning the broods of other duck species that intrude.
Localized breeder in three separate regions: the Pacific Northwest/Rockies, eastern Canada, and Iceland.
Breeds in lakes of BC, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and the Rockies.
A smaller population breeds in Quebec and Labrador.
Most overwinter on coastal salt water of the Pacific and Atlantic.
This species needs a box larger or differently-shaped than our three standard sizes. We make these as one-off prints to the published nest dimensions, with all the species-specific requirements baked in.
Males show purplish (not green) head iridescence, a key field mark vs. Common Goldeneye.