Ring necked ducks on Munson Pond

Male ring-necked duck (left and top right) and female (bottom right).

I have seen a lot of ring-necked ducks in western BC, especially on the Island, but have seen very few of them in the Kelowna area.  I was pleased to see a pair today as I was visiting Munson Pond for the 2nd time this month.

Ring-necked ducks are diving ducks (as opposed to dabbling ducks).  They dive beneath the surface of the water completely to forage for the vegetable and plant matter they eat.  During breeding season, the ducks eat more invertebrates than plant matter.  These include snails, clams, crayfish, leeches, and all manner of aquatic insects.  Clams are ingested whole and are crushed by the strong gizzard.  Vegetation becomes more important after breeding has ended.

They can be found throughout most of southern BC during breeding season and may be permanent residents where open water exists.  

I have mistaken scaups (see my blog on scaups here) for ring-necked ducks occassionally.  The bill is a key identification feature with the white stripes and black tip, especially on the male.  The lesser scaup has a solid-coloured bill.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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