Barrow's goldeneye

Along with snow geese and trumpeter swans we have many other birds in this area that join us during wintertime.

One of our favorites are the Barrow's and common goldeneyes. A white, crescent-shaped teardrop in front of the male's eyes distinguishes the Barrow's from the common goldeneye, which has a white dot in that area. The females have brown heads and greyish bodies.

They like marine waters, dive for aquatic insects and small fish and also feed on mollusks on dock pilings. This photo was taken from the boardwalk in Fairhaven. The feathers on the male's head look more blue than they appear with the plain eye.

Text and photo by Rosi Jansen