Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)

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Image of a Ring necked duck
Birds Duck

Introduction

The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) is a medium-sized North American diving duck in the family Anatidae. It breeds mainly in freshwater wetlands across the boreal regions of Canada and the northern United States, then migrates to wintering areas across much of the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Its name refers to a narrow chestnut-coloured band around the neck, although this feature is often difficult to see in the field. The contrasting white ring around the bill is usually a more useful identifying feature.

Physical Description

Ring-necked Ducks are compact diving ducks measuring approximately 39–46 cm in length, with an average wingspan of about 63.5 cm. Males are slightly larger than females and have markedly different plumage.

Adult males have a glossy black head, neck, breast, back and upperparts. The sides are pale grey, with a distinctive white wedge or spur at the front of the flanks. The grey bill has a broad white band near the tip and a black terminal section. In good light, a narrow chestnut collar may be visible around the lower neck.

Females are predominantly rich brown, with a darker crown and a paler face, throat and eye area. They usually show a white eyering and a pale stripe behind the bill. Their bill also has the species’ characteristic pale band and black tip, although the pattern is less striking than in males.

Immature birds resemble duller versions of the adults. Non-breeding males may become brownish on the sides and less sharply contrasted, but they generally retain the peaked head shape and pale bill band.

Range and Habitat

The Ring-necked Duck is native to North America. Its breeding range extends across Alaska and Canada, the northern United States and parts of the north-eastern United States. Breeding birds are associated with freshwater marshes, bogs, beaver ponds and shallow wetlands within or near the boreal forest.

During migration and winter, the species occurs widely across the United States and reaches Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. It uses a broad range of wetlands, including small lakes, ponds, marshes, river floodplains, reservoirs, flooded agricultural fields, managed impoundments and some brackish estuarine waters.

Although it is a diving duck, the Ring-necked Duck often favours relatively shallow water, generally less than about 1.2 m deep, with open water bordered by sedges, cattails, bulrushes, lilies or other aquatic vegetation. It is also notably willing to use small ponds during migration, where larger diving ducks may be less frequent.

Behaviour and Diet

Ring-necked Ducks usually feed by diving, using their feet for propulsion as they search underwater. They may also take food from the water’s surface. Outside the breeding season they can occur in pairs, small groups or large flocks, sometimes associating with scaup and dabbling ducks. Flocks may become particularly large at productive migration and wintering sites.

The diet includes submerged aquatic plants and their leaves, stems, seeds and tubers. Important plant foods include pondweeds, water lilies, wild celery, wild rice, millet, sedges and arrowhead. Animal foods include molluscs, snails, aquatic insects, caddisfly larvae, dragonfly nymphs, midges, earthworms and leeches. Invertebrates are especially important during the breeding season, and females may rely heavily on animal food while raising young.

Pair bonds usually form during spring migration and generally last at least until incubation begins. Courtship displays include head-throwing, rapid nod-swimming, bill-dipping, exaggerated neck stretching and wing-preening movements. The female selects and builds the nest, usually among dense emergent vegetation, on floating vegetation or directly over shallow water. The nest is a simple bowl of plant material lined with down.

A typical clutch contains 6–14 eggs. The female incubates the eggs for approximately 25–29 days. Ducklings are precocial and leave the nest within about two days of hatching, although they remain with the female while feeding and developing. The species normally produces one brood per season.

Identification Tips

Look for the following combination of field marks:

  • A medium-sized diving duck with a distinctly peaked or angular head.
  • A grey bill with a conspicuous white band near the black tip in both sexes.
  • In males, glossy black head and back, grey sides and a sharp white flank spur.
  • In females, rich brown plumage, a pale face, a white eyering and a pale stripe behind the bill.
  • A faint chestnut neck ring, which is often difficult to see and should not be the main identification feature.
  • A dark grey rather than bright white wing stripe in flight.

The Ring-necked Duck is smaller and more angular-headed than a Redhead. It can resemble a Lesser Scaup, but the peaked head, white bill band and white flank spur are useful distinctions. Male scaup generally show a broader, paler wing stripe and lack the Ring-necked Duck’s sharply defined white bill band.

Conservation Status

The Ring-necked Duck is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. North American Breeding Bird Survey data indicate an overall increase of approximately 1.9 per cent per year between 1966 and 2019, although local numbers can fluctuate substantially with wetland conditions.

The main conservation concerns are the loss and degradation of wetlands on breeding, migration and wintering grounds. Pollution, disturbance, poorly managed development and climate-related changes to water regimes may also affect habitat quality. The species can ingest spent lead shot while feeding on wetland bottoms, creating a risk of lead poisoning. Waterfowl hunting is regulated through seasonal and harvest-management systems in North America.

Conservation measures include protecting and restoring freshwater wetlands, maintaining shallow vegetated habitat along migration routes, monitoring population trends and reducing exposure to toxic contaminants such as lead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the Ring-necked Duck live?

It breeds mainly in freshwater marshes, bogs and shallow wetlands across boreal Canada, Alaska and the northern United States. It winters widely across the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Why is it called a Ring-necked Duck?

The name refers to a narrow chestnut-coloured band around the bird’s neck. The ring is often difficult to see, so the white band around the bill is usually more useful for identification.

What does the Ring-necked Duck eat?

It eats submerged aquatic plants, seeds and tubers, as well as molluscs, snails, insects, insect larvae, worms and leeches. Animal food is particularly important during breeding.

Is the Ring-necked Duck a diving duck?

Yes. It is a diving duck that searches underwater for food, although it may also feed from the surface. It commonly uses shallow wetlands, ponds and marshes rather than only large lakes.

How many eggs does a Ring-necked Duck lay?

A typical clutch contains 6–14 eggs. The female incubates them for approximately 25–29 days, and the ducklings leave the nest within about two days of hatching.

Is the Ring-necked Duck endangered?

No. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern, although wetland loss, contamination, climate-related changes and hunting pressure require ongoing management and monitoring.

References

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