General Description: Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) are sexually dimorphic pond ducks. Both genders have a broad white band around the bill that separates the black tip from the gray base. Males are black with gray sides and a white crescent that separates the black breast and the gray sides. Females are mottled brown overall, although they are darker on the back, and they have a narrow white line behind the eye. The "ring" on the neck is a chestnut collar that is rarely seen in the field, but it is apparent in hand.
Taxonomy: Anseriformes, Anatidae, Anatinae
Favored Habitat: Ponds and marshes. |