The Ring-necked Duck was seen during one of Grand Harbor Audubon’s recent bird walks.  On both walks, participants saw over 40 birds.   The male Rind-necked Duck is a sharply marked bird of gleaming black, gray and white.  Females are rich brown with a delicate fact pattern including brown eyes with white rings surrounding them.  They are from 15-18” long and weigh about a pound.   Look for the distinctive peaked head to identify it.   The chestnut-colored ring on their neck is hard to see so they are sometimes called a Ring-billed Duck.

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The Ring-necked Duck is a diver and eats submerged plants and aquatic invertebrates.  Protein rich animal food is important during the breeding season when adults are raising their young.  They put their nests among plants in marshes.  Nests are typically in the water to protect against land-based predators and can be 1-10” above the water.  They may build a ramp to help the female get in and out of the nest.  She lays one egg per day, up to 8-10, with an incubation period of 25-29 days and a nestling period of 1-2 days.  At hatching the ducklings are independent, with a fine coat of down and they leave within 2 days of hatching.

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The Ring-necked Duck migrates from Canada to the Southern U.S.  During fall migration they can form immense flocks with several hundred thousand congregating on certain lakes in Minnesota to feed on wild rice.  Pairs tend to form in spring and stay together at least until incubation begins.

 

The Ring-necked Duck is of low conservation concern.  They can be affected by old lead shot remaining in wetlands, development and degradation of wetland habitat on their breeding grounds and migration routes.  They also can get attacked by the much larger Common Loon, the Red-necked Grebe and of course hunters The oldest known Ring-necked Duck was a male and at least 20 years, 5 months old.  He was banded in Louisiana in 1964 and shot in Minnesota in 1983.