Spring Migration Arrival: Common Goldeneye

As spring begins to thaw Carillon Stonegate Pond, the Common Goldeneye can be observed in our waters. These medium-sized ducks are recognized for their large heads and small bills. The pond serves as a habitat for the Goldeneyes' activities and displays during their Spring migration.

Identification: Common Goldeneyes are medium-sized ducks with large heads and small bills. Males have dark triangular heads with a greenish sheen and a white spot on the cheek, while females have chestnut brown heads and gray bodies. Both have bright yellow eyes, hence the name "goldeneye".

Male Common Goldeneye

Habitat at Carillon Stonegate Pond: You can spot Common Goldeneyes around the pond during early winter until it ices over, and again in spring after the ice melts. They often dive below the surface, so your first sighting might be a "rump-up" as they dive.

Flight Patterns: These ducks are fast flyers, reaching speeds over 40 miles an hour. Their wings make a distinctive whistling sound in flight. They only need a short runway to take off, unlike many other diving ducks.

Female Common Goldeneye

Behavior: Common Goldeneyes are diving ducks that often forage in flocks. They are strong swimmers and divers, spending much of their time on the water. They dive frequently in search of prey and often synchronize their dives with others.

Diet: They mainly eat aquatic invertebrates like crustaceans and mollusks, as well as fish and fish eggs. Vegetation makes up less than a quarter of their diet. They feed mainly along shorelines in shallow water.

Residence: Common Goldeneyes are common migrants and winter residents throughout Illinois. They breed in Canada, Alaska, and the northern Great Plains, and nest in tree holes near lakes, rivers, or wetlands.

Male Common Goldeneye

Breeding and Nesting: They breed in Canada and Alaska, forming monogamous pairs between December and April. Females lay up to nine eggs in tree cavities, and the young leave the nest a few days after hatching. The young take to flight at about two months.

Migration: Common Goldeneyes migrate from northern North America to wintering grounds across the northern U.S. They migrate via all major flyways and their fall migration is later than other ducks.

Conservation Status: There is no concern for their population, which has been steady over recent decades. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of two and a half million in North America.

Female Common Goldeneye

Vocalizations: Despite their scientific name meaning "screaming," Common Goldeneyes are usually silent. Males make a faint peent sound during courtship displays, and females give a harsh croaking sound when disturbed.

Interesting Facts:

• Their eye color changes as they mature, starting from gray-brown at hatching to bright golden yellow as adults.

• Hunters call them "whistlers" because of the sound their wings make in flight.

• Chicks have to take a big leap from tree cavities up to 40 feet high when they leave the nest.

• The oldest known Common Goldeneye was about 20 years old.

​For more information on the Common Goldeneye and sources of information used in this blog (these are the sources that I am using to learn as I blog), please visit All About Birds, Audubon Society, Illinois DNR, and Missouri Department of Conservation.  And the Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides a wonderful source of information for anyone interested in learning more about birds.

​We all benefit from the variety of wetland, forest, and prairie environments that support diverse wildlife, plants, and insects of Carillon Stonegate Pond.

Take a hike and see what you can find – and identify!