Ring-Necked Duck

Their name refer to a specific faint chestnut ring that encircles the base of the drake’s neck. However, the ducks are poorly named because the inconspicuous ring is scarcely discernible in poor light, and it is only evident if males with extended necks are viewed at close range. The long, partially raised crown feathers give their head a distinct, peaked triangular shape and drakes show folded wings, a feature evident from some distance. The Ring-Necked Ducks (Aythya Collaris) are inclined to fly in small flocks in open formation, rather than tight bunches or lines. They ride high on the water when at rest, often with their short tails noticeably cocked and spread. Unlike all other North American Pochards, nesting pairs are partial to shallow forested pools, slough, swamps, bogs and beaver ponds; they utilize even stagnant waters. The little ducks are more apt to lurk in the vegetated periphery than the middle of large expanses of deep water, and they especially favor wetlands blanketed by extensive floating vegetation. The highly migratory ducks move farther south than other Pochards, even as far south as Panama and Venezuela. Though less inclined to gather in flocks as large as many of their relatives, aggregations of several thousand are not unusual. They rise easily from the water with the unmistakable sound of their whistling wings, and their active flight is vigorous and agile. The distinctive ducks swim high on the water, and though they can dive to more than 40 feet, the nocturnal-foraging ducks are more inclined to utilize waters less than five feet deep. Active courtship occurs in late winter and spring, with most pair bonds cemented in the spring, but sometimes not until the breeding grounds are reached. Females seek islands, muskrat lodges, floating bog or muskeg, and even small mats of floating vegetation for their well-constructed nests. Eggs are laid in the nests of other species.