Ring-necked Duck

The Ring-necked Duck is a medium-sized diving duck found across much of North America, breeding in wooded ponds, bogs, and marshes and wintering on lakes, ponds, and marshes further south. Despite its name, the faint chestnut collar for which it is named is very difficult to see in the field, and the white ring near the tip of the bill is often a more useful clue in life.

Breeding males show a glossy black head with a distinctive peaked or angular crown shape, a black back, and pale grey flanks marked by a bold white vertical spur or crescent just in front of the folded wing at the waterline.

Feathers can be recognized by the male's solid black back feathers, distinct from the grey back of the similarly shaped scaup species, along with the peaked head shape and blue-grey bill pattern.

Size and shape

• Medium-sized diving-duck contour feathers
• A peaked or slightly angular crest shape to the head feathering, distinct from the rounder head of scaup species

Color and pattern

• Male head and back feathers glossy black, with a faint purplish sheen on the head in good light
• Male flank feathers pale grey, marked at the front edge by a bold white vertical spur or crescent, a key identifying feature
• A subtle chestnut collar band at the base of the neck, often difficult to see even on the living bird
• Female body feathers brown overall, with a pale area around the base of the bill and a whitish eye-ring

Distinguishing from similar species

• Compare with scaup species: Ring-necked Duck has a solid black back, while scaup show a paler grey back; the white flank spur is also more prominent in Ring-necked Duck
• The peaked head shape helps separate this species from the rounder-headed scaup and Redhead

Breeding males show a glossy black head, neck, and back, a faint chestnut collar at the base of the neck, and pale grey flanks marked by a bold white vertical spur. Females are brown overall, with a paler face and a whitish eye-ring, and a similarly patterned but duller bill. Molt includes an eclipse phase in males and a flightless period during wing molt typical of diving ducks.

Breeds across the boreal and prairie regions of Canada and the northern United States, favoring wooded ponds, bogs, and marshes, often more vegetated habitat than other diving ducks prefer. Winters across the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America, on lakes, ponds, and marshes, generally favoring somewhat smaller or more vegetated waters than open-water species like scaup. It is strongly migratory.

A diving duck feeding on aquatic vegetation, seeds, and invertebrates, foraging in both open water and more vegetated ponds than many related diving ducks. Nests on the ground near water, often in marshy or boggy habitat. Voice is generally quiet, with soft grunting or hissing notes. Its preference for smaller, more vegetated ponds compared to open-water scaup species is a useful habitat clue alongside the black back and white flank spur when confirming a found feather.