Harlequin Duck

Photo by Gaukur
Iceland

Histrionicus histrionicus

Identification

White ear patch

Adult male

• Slate blue with chestnut sides
• White markings including a white crescent at the base of the bill

Adult female

• Less colourful
• Brownish-grey plumage
• White patch on the head around the eye

Distribution

Atlantic and Pacific coasts. North America, Greenland, Iceland and western Russia.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies^[1]

• H. h. histrionicus:

• Greenland, Baffin Island and northern Labrador; winters to Long Island

• H. h. pacificus:

• Northern and eastern Palearctic and Bering Sea islands to central California

Habitat

Cold fast moving streams

Behaviour

Breeding

The nest is usually located in a well-concealed location on the ground near a stream.

Diet

Includes molluscs, crustaceans and insects.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Wikipedia

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Harlequin Duck. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 16 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Harlequin_Duck

External Links

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