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Diving ducks frequent large, deep lakes and rivers, as well as coastal bays and inlets. When launching into flight, most of this group patter along the water before becoming airborne. They feed by diving, often to considerable depths. Since their wings are smaller in proportion to the size and weight of their bodies, they have a more rapid wingbeat than puddle ducks.
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Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
At-a-Glance
• Type: Diving Duck
• Peak Breeding Activity: March-May
• Incubation: 26-27 days
• Clutch Size: 6-14 eggs
• Young Fledge: 49-56 days after hatching
• Typical foods: aquatic plants, mollusks, fish, and shellfish
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Description
The head, neck and breast of the ringneck is dark. The faint brown ring on the drake's neck never shows in the field and the tight bands at the tip and base of the bill are conspicuous. The female can be identified by the white edge on the base of the bill. Although they look like scaups, in flight, the dark wings are different from the white-edged wings of the scaup.
Habitat and Habits
This species is often the most widespread diving duck in migration away from Lake Erie, and they turn up on nearly any water body. Ring-necked ducks are more like dabbling ducks than other divers, in that they can leap into the air without a running start. This species frequents shallow marshes, too, like dabblers. While occasional summering birds have been noted, there are no Ohio nesting records. Not often heard in Ohio, ring-necked ducks give odd growls, whistles, and soft hissing sounds.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Females build nests on floating vegetation in marshes. It is usually concealed by vegetation. |
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