Ring-necked Duck

About

A medium-sized diving duck. Males have a glossy black head and breast, white flank stripe, and a grey bill with a white ring near the tip; females are brown. Named for an inconspicuous brown neck ring. Common in North America. Dives for aquatic plants and invertebrates.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Wingspan	39.0 cm	15.4 in
Weight	825.5 g	29.12 oz

Identification

Plumage

Males black back and breast; gray flanks with white vertical mark near breast. Iridescent dark purple head with subtle chestnut neck ring. Bill blue-gray with white ring near tip. Females brown with pale eye-ring and face.

Habitat & Range

Breeds on boreal lakes and bogs in North America from Alaska and Canada south to the northern United States. Winters on freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and marshes across the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean.

🏖️ Coastal 🌲 Forest 🌿 Wetland

Geographic Range

Breeds in western Arctic Canada and Alaska; winters along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California.

Diet & Feeding

Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal water; diet dominated by benthic invertebrates.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: PL,CP. Incubation: 25-29 days. Fledging: 49-56 days.

Clutch Size

6-14

Sound

Song

Male produces a low, purring wheeze; female gives a harsh, rolling quack. The purring male call is understated; found on North American freshwater lakes; female calls are emphatic and nasal.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Family	Anatidae (Ducks, Geese & Swans)
Genus	Aythya
Species	Aythya collaris

Distribution

Ring-necked Duck has been recorded in 10 countries.

{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}

Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇺🇸 United States 🇻🇪 Venezuela

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Ring-necked Duck eat?

Eats molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates; dives in shallow coastal water; diet dominated by benthic invertebrates.

Where does the Ring-necked Duck live?

Breeds on boreal lakes and bogs in North America from Alaska and Canada south to the northern United States. Winters on freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and marshes across the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean.

Is the Ring-necked Duck endangered?

The Ring-necked Duck has a conservation status of Least Concern.

How does the Ring-necked Duck nest?

Nest type: PL,CP. Incubation: 25-29 days. Fledging: 49-56 days.

What does the Ring-necked Duck sound like?

Male produces a low, purring wheeze; female gives a harsh, rolling quack. The purring male call is understated; found on North American freshwater lakes; female calls are emphatic and nasal.

How big is the Ring-necked Duck?

The Ring-necked Duck has a wingspan of 39.0 cm, weight of 825.5 g.

What order and family does the Ring-necked Duck belong to?

The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) belongs to the order Anseriformes and the family Anatidae.