Barrow's Goldeneye

Barrow’s goldeneye is a medium-sized diving duck. The female has light brown back and sides and a dark brown head. The male’s back is black with a few white patches; its sides and chest are white. Its head is purple with a crescent-shaped white patch between eye and bill.

Over 95 % of this duck’s world population nest and overwinter in Canada, west of the Rockies, while a small residual population remains in Iceland. In Eastern Canada, the goldeneye is mostly found in Québec.

The species prefers to reproduce on small barren lakes at the head of rivers, at high altitudes, where they find an abundance of invertebrates to feed on. They lay their eggs inside natural cavities, often white birch and aspen. They generally nest near the water, but sometimes up to 2 km away.

Deforestation is undoubtedly the gravest danger for Barrow’s goldeneye as it removes the trees where they build their nests, forcing females to move farther away from water, thus exposing their young the greater risk of predation. Since the goldeneye is mainly found in areas where fishing is popular, many barren lakes are stocked, which reduces the invertebrate population needed for the species to survive. (Source : ministère des Ressources naturelles, de la Faune et des Parcs )

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