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Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Ring-necked Duck

The ring-necked duck is the right of centre bird which has a very noticeable white band around the bill.
On it's right is a tufted duck, (which has pale, but not a strong band around bill) also notice the peaked head of
the ring-necked duck compared with rounded head of the tufted duck

The slate-grey bill of an adult ring-necked duck has a wide black tip, and a white band that goes around the bill above this. The adult male additionally has a white band at the base of his bill which is present during breeding and is missing in the autumn.

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Photographs © Andy Robinson
Loch Tiumpan - Isle of Lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
11th December 2005

• Ring-necked duck
• Aythya collaris
• UK: Scarce visitor, less than 20 annual UK records BTO
• WI: Vagrant/scarce visitor (very small numbers recorded in most years)
• Breeds: North America
• Winters: South - Central America
• Diet: (Aquatic - feeds by diving) tubers, plant seeds, molluscs, small fish, invertebrates
• Habitat: Marsh areas, lochs, lakes, bays, rivers ( preferably with thick vegetation)
• Small diving duck. Grey bill has white band. Forehead is very high & steep. Head peaked (tufties' rounded). Never has "tuft". Head purple & shiny, white breast, yellow eyes, back very dark grey . Flight grey wing bar (not white)
• Adult female, pale brown head & body, dark brown back, dark bill has more subtle light band than male, brown eyes
• Similar birds: Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser scaup (very rare - whitish back)
  

 

Ring-necked Duck records in the Western Isles

Vagrant/scarce visitor (very small numbers recorded in most years)

 

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D

(Source: Outer Hebrides Birds Checklist)

 

Male or female ducks and their collective nouns

Some people use the word duck only for an adult female and drake for an adult male whilst others say hen and drake.

Waterfowl collective nouns (From WIKI):
waterfowl (on water)	A raft
waterfowl	A bunch of waterfowl
waterfowl (less than 30)	A knob
ducks, swimming	A paddling of ducks
waterfowl	A plump
ducks, idle in water	A raft of ducks
ducks, diving	A dopping of ducks
ducks, on ground	A badelynge of ducks
ducks, flying	A flight, plump, or team of ducks
ducks	A brace, bunch, , flock, skein, sord, string, brace, flush

 

 

Other local bird photographs

Sources of information for the bird sightings section

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