Harlequin Ducks
The Harlequin Duck is a small sea duck which takes its name from Harlequin, a colourfully dressed character in "Commedia dell'arte" (a form of Italian theatre with masked characters).
The adult male Harlequin Duck has a colourful and complex plumage pattern. The head and neck are dark slate blue with a large white crescent marking in front of the eye, a small round dot behind the eye and a larger oval spot down the side of the neck. A black crown stripe runs over the top of the head with chestnut patches on either side. A black-bordered white collar separates the head from the breast. The body is largely a lighter slate blue with chestnut sides. A black-bordered white bar divides the breast vertically from the sides. The tail is black, long and pointed. The speculum is metallic blue. The inner secondary feathers are white and form white markings over the back when folded. The bill is blue-grey and the eye is reddish.
The adult female Harlequin Duck is less colourful with brownish-grey plumage with three white patches on the head, a round spot behind the eye, a larger patch from the eye to the bill and a small spot above the eye.
The Harlequin Duck has smooth, densely packed feathers that trap a lot of air within them. This is vital for insulating such a small body against the chilly waters that it inhabits and it also makes it exceptionally buoyant, making it bounce like a cork after dives.
The Harlequin Duck breeds alongside cold fast moving streams in the northern regions of north America, Greenland, Iceland (the only European site) and western Russia. The nest is usually located in a well concealed location on the ground near a stream. They are usually found near pounding surf and white water. It is a short distance migrant and most winter near rocky shorelines on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The Harlequin Duck is a very rare migrant to western Europe.
The Harlequin Duck feeds by swimming under water or diving and also by dabbling. It feeds on molluscs, crustaceans and insects.
Date: 2nd June 2015
Location: River Laxá, Lake Mývatn area, north east Iceland
The adult male Harlequin Duck has a colourful and complex plumage pattern. The head and neck are dark slate blue with a large white crescent marking in front of the eye, a small round dot behind the eye and a larger oval spot down the side of the neck. A black crown stripe runs over the top of the head with chestnut patches on either side. A black-bordered white collar separates the head from the breast. The body is largely a lighter slate blue with chestnut sides. A black-bordered white bar divides the breast vertically from the sides. The tail is black, long and pointed. The speculum is metallic blue. The inner secondary feathers are white and form white markings over the back when folded. The bill is blue-grey and the eye is reddish.
The adult female Harlequin Duck is less colourful with brownish-grey plumage with three white patches on the head, a round spot behind the eye, a larger patch from the eye to the bill and a small spot above the eye.
The Harlequin Duck has smooth, densely packed feathers that trap a lot of air within them. This is vital for insulating such a small body against the chilly waters that it inhabits and it also makes it exceptionally buoyant, making it bounce like a cork after dives.
The Harlequin Duck breeds alongside cold fast moving streams in the northern regions of north America, Greenland, Iceland (the only European site) and western Russia. The nest is usually located in a well concealed location on the ground near a stream. They are usually found near pounding surf and white water. It is a short distance migrant and most winter near rocky shorelines on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The Harlequin Duck is a very rare migrant to western Europe.
The Harlequin Duck feeds by swimming under water or diving and also by dabbling. It feeds on molluscs, crustaceans and insects.
Date: 2nd June 2015
Location: River Laxá, Lake Mývatn area, north east Iceland
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Also in: North east Iceland
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