Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
Species
Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). Male. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on March 29th 2018.
Male. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on March 29th 2018.
(1/500th sec at f11 . Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)
Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula). Female. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on December 1st 2020.
Female. Taken at Farmoor, Oxon., on December 1st 2020.
(1/320th sec at f11. Click image for larger version. © David Hastings)

Description

L: 40 - 48 cm; WS: 67 - 82 cm

A medium sized diving duck. Males look black and white with a greenish black head and a circular white patch in front of the yellow eye. Females are smaller, and are mottled grey with a chocolate brown head. In flight, birds show a large area of white on the inner wing.

The Goldeneye is found in Canada and the northern United States, Scandinavia and northern Russia. There is a small breeding population in Scotland.

The Goldeneye's breeding habitat is the taiga. They are found on the lakes and rivers of boreal forests.

Goldeneye nest in holes in trees. They will also use nestboxes. Birds migrate to western Europe and the British Isles in winter.

This species has amber status on the UK list, due to the small breeding population (200 pairs).

Sightings

16-Mar-2024 : Standlake Common, Oxon (3)
01-Jan-2024 : Standlake Common, Oxon (1m)

17-Nov-2023 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (2)
19-Mar-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (1m)
11-Mar-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2)
19-Feb-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (4)
05-Feb-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2m,2f)
01-Feb-2023 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2)

26-Dec-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2m,1f)
06-Dec-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon (1m)
28-Oct-2022 : Tophill Low, E. Yorks (1f)
26-Mar-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon (1m,2f)
27-Feb-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon (4m,2f)
23-Feb-2022 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,1f)
30-Jan-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2m,3f)
09-Jan-2022 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2)

29-Mar-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (3m,8f)
08-Mar-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (2m,5f)
18-Feb-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,2f)
14-Feb-2021 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2m,2f)
05-Feb-2021 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,3f)
17-Jan-2021 : Standlake Common, Oxon (1m)

24-Dec-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (2f)
01-Dec-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (2f)
23-Nov-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (2f)
22-Mar-2020 : Standlake Common, Oxon (1m)
20-Mar-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (2)
14-Mar-2020 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2)
17-Feb-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,5f)
27-Jan-2020 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2f)
17-Jan-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (4f)
10-Jan-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,2f)
05-Jan-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,3f)
04-Jan-2020 : Standlake Common, Oxon (4m)
01-Jan-2020 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,8f)

29-Dec-2019 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2m,2f)
11-Dec-2019 : Standlake Common, Oxon (2m)
08-Dec-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m,4f)
17-Nov-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1f)
07-Nov-2019 : Standlake Common, Oxon (3f)
03-Nov-2019 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m)
24-May-2019 : Avielochan, Highland (3)
08-Jan-2019 : Standlake Common, Oxon (3m,5f)

20-Dec-2018 : Standlake Common, Oxon (1m)
19-Apr-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m)
15-Apr-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1)
10-Apr-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m)
01-Apr-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m)
29-Mar-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m)
21-Mar-2018 : Farmoor Reservoir, Oxon (1m)