DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS: GOLDEN-EYE 
139 
Redhead; but she is smaller and browner and has a whiter throat and darker back. 
(See p. 132.) 
Range. —Breeds in interior of North America; from southern half of British 
Columbia, central Mackenzie Valley, Athabaska Lake, northern Saskatchewan, and 
western Ontario south to Illinois, Nebraska, and northern Utah; winters from south¬ 
ern British Columbia, probably Nevada, New Mexico, northern Texas, Arkansas, 
Illinois, and Chesapeake Bay south through Mexico to Guatemala. 
State Records. —The Ring-necked Duck is apparently very rare in New Mexico, 
but as it breeds north of the State and winters far to the southward, it would be 
strange if some individuals did not occasionally cross the State in migration. Henry 
in 1855 reported a few seen on the Mimbres and occasionally along the Rio Grande 
in winter [on the Rio Grande near Albuquerque Aldo Leopold reported one killed on 
December 10, 1918, and a few single birds were seen].—W. W. Cooke. 
Additional Literature.—Bent, A. C., U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 126, 224-230, 
1923. 
AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE: Glaucionetta clangula americana Bonaparte 
Description.— Male: Length 18.5-23 inches, wing 9-9.3, bill 1.9 depth at base, 
1-1.1, tarsus 1.5-1.6. Female: Length about 16.5 inches, wing 7.9-8.3, bill 1.6, depth 
at base, .8-.9. Adult male in winter and breeding 'plumage: Puffy head black with 
green or violet reflections, and rounded white spot 
at base of bill; back black, tail gray; wing with 
large white patch; axillars and wing linings mainly 
blackish brown; neck and underparts white; iris 
golden-yellow, bill blackish, legs and toes orange 
or yellow, webs dusky. Adult male in eclipse 
plumage: Variable; similar to adult female but 
without white collar, with mottling on head and 
neck and more white in wing; some suggesting 
white head spot. Adult female and young in first 
winter: Variable; puffy head snuff brown without 
white spots; incomplete collar, white or gray; body 
mainly grayish or brownish except for black rump 
and white belly; wings with white speculum , axil¬ 
lars and wing linings blackish brown; iris yellow, 
bill dusky, toes orange or yellowish, webs 
blackish. 
Range. —Breeds mainly north of the United States entirely across the continent; 
from central Alaska, southern Mackenzie, Hudson Bay region, Labrador, and New¬ 
foundland south to northern New England, Michigan, North Dakota, northwestern 
Montana, and southern British Columbia; winters on cold coasts and large lakes 
south of frozen areas from the Commander and Aleutian Islands, British Columbia, 
northwestern Montana, Nebraska, Great Lakes, Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Maine 
south to Florida, Gulf States, central western Mexico, and southern California; occa¬ 
sionally to Arizona (Tucson) and Texas (Galveston and Corpus Christi). 
State Records. —On the Carlsbad Bird Reserve the Golden-eye was seen Jan¬ 
uary, 1915, during the winter of 1915-16; [100 noted in December, 1916. On the Rio 
Grande Bird Reserve (Elephant Butte), it was also noted November 23-Dccember 9, 
1916 (Willett). On the Rio Grande near Albuquerque a few, generally single birds 
occur in December and January (Leopold, 1919). It is found on mountain lakes in 
Colfax County (Charles Springer, 1925)]. 
' v'.'i 
' \\ 
From Handbook of Western Birds 
Fig. 18. American Golden-eye 
