Ring-necked Duck

Description:

Ring-necked Ducks are small to medium sized diving ducks. The adult male is similar in color pattern to the Eurasian Tufted Duck, its relative. Males are a little bit bigger than the female. It has two white rings surrounding its gray bill, a shiny black angular head, black back, white line on the wings, a white breast and yellow eyes. The adult female has a grayish brown angular head and body with a dark brown back, a dark bill with a more subtle light band than the male, grayish-blue feet and brown eyes with white rings surrounding them. Females also make a noise like "trrr". The cinnamon neck ring is usually difficult to observe, which is why the bird is sometimes referred to as a "ringbill".

Habitat:

Freshwater lake, These birds are omnivores and feed mainly by diving or dabbling at the surface. Ducklings are dependent on animal matter such as insects earth worms, leeches, midges and snails. As they mature they tend change their diet to vegetation like submerged and emergent plants. Submerged plants include pondweed, seeds and coontail. Emergent plants like annual wild rice.