Common Goldeneye Missouri Department of Conservation

Common goldeneyes have compact bodies with large heads, relatively small, narrow bills, and short tails. The adult male has a dark head and back with very white sides and breast. There is a white oval spot on the cheek, between the dark bill and the conspicuously bright yellow eye. In good light, the male’s black head has a greenish sheen. The female’s bill is dark with a small amount of yellow near the tip; the head is brown, the body gray, and a white collar is sometimes visible around the neck. The female’s eye is pale yellow or white. The female makes a low grating au, au, and the male whistles and rattles. Goldeneyes are diving ducks but do not need much of a running start to take flight. Flight is fast, with rapid, whistling wingbeats. They float buoyantly, dive suddenly, and are strong swimmers underwater. They are rarely seen walking on land. Similar species: The closely related Barrow’s goldeneye is very rare in Missouri. The male has a white crescent-shaped face patch, a purple, oval head, and more extensive black on the back. The female Barrow’s goldeneye has a small, completely or partially yellow bill. Bufflehead males are similar to goldeneyes, but they have a large white spot on the back of the head (not between the bill and eye).

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