AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE 169 



Diego (Belding, MS). Some iulaml record stations are: near Daggett, San 

 Bernardino County (Lamb, 1912, p. 34); Lone Pine, Inyo County (A. K. 

 Fisher, 1893a, p. 18); and lower McCloud Eiver, Shasta County (C. H. Town- 

 send, 1887, p. 195). Other inland records nearer the coast. 



The American Golden-eye or Whistler is to be numbered among 

 the less common ducks in California. Several early writers give it 

 as a common winter visitant, but recent records especially in southern 

 California have been few. Littlejohn (1912, p. 41) says that it is 

 often plentiful during the fall migration on the salt marshes of San 

 Francisco Bay near Redwood City. From Oregon northward this 

 duck is reported as regularly common in winter. It is with us found 

 almost exclnsively on salt water along the coast, but there have been 

 several records of its occurrence interiorly, for example, "central 

 Califoi'nia in winter, but rare" (Belding, ]\rS). The numbers decrease 

 rapidly south of ]\Ionterey Bay. 



The medium size, stocky build, strongly contrasted black and white 

 coloration, and large-appearing head of the male Golden-eye make 

 him easily distinguishable from other drakes in the field, either when 

 flying or at rest on the water. At close range or in the hand, the 

 roundish white spot at the base of the bill on each side and the bright 

 yellow eyes make identification certain. The extraordinary whistling 

 sound made by the wings marks this bird in flight. Our other black 

 and white ducks with which it is sometimes confused by the inex- 

 perienced observer are the sawbills and the Bufflehead ; but the longer 

 body and slender beak of the mergansers give them an entirely dif- 

 ferent appearance, while the Bufflehead is a much smaller bird and the 

 head, though fluffy, has a large white patch behind the eye. The 

 female Golden-eyes are more difficult to recognize than the males, as 

 the head is brown instead of black, the upper surface is gray in color 

 and there is no white spot at the base of the bill on each side. The 

 stocky build, bright yellow eye, and whistling noise in flight still 

 remain. hoM'ever, and together with the white speculum, abruptly and 

 solidly brown head, and white collar, combine to distinguish them from 

 other female ducks. 



Males of the American Golden-eye can be separated from those of 

 the Barrow Golden-eye by the roundish white spot at the base of the 

 bill instead of the narrowly triangular patch found in the same place 

 in the latter species. Females and young of these two species are 

 so similar in appearance that they are difficult to distinguish even 

 in the hand. The decided reduction in the width of the bill near its 

 tip in the Barrow Golden-eye is the most dependable character avail- 

 able for discrimination. Other diagnostic characters of the American 

 are the paler head, paler band across chest, lack of yellowish band 

 across bill near tip, and lack of blackish bar across the white area on 

 the wing. 



