You're scanning a frigid coastal bay in Alaska, your breath fogging in the air. A raft of black and white ducks bobs on the waves. Most are the familiar Common Goldeneye, but one stands out. Its head looks almost purplish-black, and the white facial patch isn't a round dot, but a bold, elegant crescent. You've just found a Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), a bird with a more specialized and, frankly, more dramatic lifestyle than its common cousin. If you've struggled to tell them apart or wondered where to reliably see this stunning diver, you're in the right place. This guide cuts through the confusion with specific locations, identification hacks most guides miss, and a clear look at why this duck matters. This is the hurdle for most birders. At a distance, on choppy water, they can look identical. But get a decent look, and the differences are clear. The mistake I see most often? People rely solely on head shape. It's a clue, but not the most reliable one, especially with moving birds. The male Barrow's Goldeneye has a head that can appear glossed with purple or green in good light, compared to the Common's iridescent green. But the real giveaway is the facial mark. The Barrow's sports a thin, crescent-shaped white patch in front of the eye. The Common Goldeneye male has a larger, circular or oval white patch behind the bill. It's the difference between a comma and a period. Pro Tip Most Guides Miss: Don't just look at the head. Check the sides. In flight or when stretching, the male Barrow's shows more extensive white on the inner wing (the secondary feathers) than a Common Goldeneye. It forms a longer white stripe. This is often more visible in poor light than subtle head color. Females are trickier. Both are gray with brown heads. The female Barrow's typically has a slightly yellower-orange bill tip (but this varies). Her head is a darker, richer brown and often has a more pronounced, steep forehead that meets the bill at a sharper angle, giving her head a triangular profile. The Common female's head is a paler brown and slopes more gently from the crown to the bill. Barrow's Goldeneyes have a patchy, northern distribution. They're not scattered everywhere. You need to go to their core areas. Forget random lakes in the Midwest; think specific, cold-water habitats. The two major populations are: 1) the Eastern Population in Iceland, Greenland, and a tiny relict group in eastern Canada (like Lac-à-la-Tortue in Quebec), and 2) the much larger Western/North American Population. For North American birders, the West is where it's at. This is their summer breeding heartland and fantastic for winter viewing too. Thousands migrate south along the coast to spend winter in protected bays. These aren't just random spots. They share key features: sheltered, shallow saltwater or brackish bays with abundant shellfish (their food) and nearby freshwater sources for drinking. Barrow's Goldeneyes are tied to the boreal forest and its waterways. They nest in tree cavities, often old Northern Flicker or Pileated Woodpecker holes, near lakes and ponds. They're fussy. The water needs to be clear and rich in aquatic insects for the ducklings. This specialization makes them vulnerable to logging and shoreline development. Their diet shifts with the season. In summer, it's insects, larvae, and plant material. In winter, they switch almost entirely to bottom-dwelling invertebrates: mussels, clams, crabs, and shrimp. They dive in 10-20 feet of water, prying shellfish off rocks. You'll often see them surface, then maneuver the shell in their bill to swallow it whole. Migration is a drawn-out affair. They leave northern breeding grounds from September to November, moving to coastal wintering sites. The return trip starts as early as February. Some birds, particularly in Iceland and parts of coastal BC, are nearly resident, only moving short distances if ice forces them to. Globally, they're classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. But that broad label hides regional concerns. The Eastern Population in Iceland/Greenland is stable. The Western Population is also generally healthy, but faces local pressures. The main threats aren't dramatic. They're slow and cumulative: loss of nesting trees from forestry, degradation of freshwater breeding lakes from pollution or development, and disturbance at key wintering sites from boat traffic and coastal construction. Oil spills in coastal bays would be catastrophic for wintering flocks. Organizations like Ducks Unlimited and government agencies work to protect nesting habitat through programs like the installation of nest boxes, which they use readily. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, monitoring through surveys like the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey is crucial for tracking trends. Let's get practical. You want to see one. Here’s how to make it happen. Best Time of Year: For the easiest viewing, aim for winter (November - March). The birds are concentrated in coastal bays, often in large, mixed flocks. Summer (June-August) offers a chance to see them on pristine boreal lakes, but they're more dispersed and wary around nests. Gear You Need: A decent pair of binoculars (8x42 is ideal) is the bare minimum. A spotting scope on a tripod is a game-changer for scanning distant rafts on bays. Dress for the weather—layers, waterproof boots, warm gloves. A field guide or app like Merlin Bird ID is helpful for quick confirmation. A Sample 3-Day Winter Trip (Pacific Northwest Focus): Day 1: Fly into Seattle (SEA) or Vancouver (YVR). Drive north to Bellingham, WA. Spend the afternoon at Sandy Point State Park, scanning the Strait of Georgia. Day 2: Drive south to the Samish Flats area. Spend the morning driving farm roads around Samish and Padilla Bay. Key spots: the end of Bayview-Edison Road, the Edison Slough. Afternoon: explore Padilla Bay Shore Trail. Day 3: Option A: Take a ferry to Vancouver Island and check spots like Deep Bay. Option B: Head south to Skagit Bay or continue exploring other Whatcom County sites. This itinerary puts you in the heart of their highest-density winter habitat. In Alaska, where is the single easiest place for a tourist to see a Barrow's Goldeneye? For sheer convenience, the Mendenhall Wetlands in Juneau. You can see them from your car along the Glacier Highway if the weather's bad. The visitor centers in Juneau often have staff who can point you to the day's best spot. Potter Marsh in Anchorage is a close second, offering a guaranteed birding experience right off the highway with a paved boardwalk. I only have binoculars, not a scope. Can I still identify them reliably in a mixed flock? Yes, but you need patience and to wait for the right view. Focus on getting a clear look at the head of a male. That crescent vs. round spot is visible with good 8x or 10x binoculars if the bird is facing you or sideways. Don't waste time on distant, sleeping birds. Watch for active ones that lift their heads. The side pattern (black spurs on white) is another binocular-friendly clue if the light is decent. Why are there almost no Barrow's Goldeneyes in the eastern United States? It boils down to glacial history and habitat fidelity. During the last ice age, the population was likely pushed into two separate refugia: one in the west (Beringia/Alaska) and one in the east (possibly Atlantic Canada). When the ice retreated, they expanded from these cores but remained faithful to their specific, northern forest and mountain lake habitats. The eastern refugium population was always smaller and more vulnerable. The eastern deciduous forests and warmer lowlands that dominate the eastern U.S. simply don't offer the clear, insect-rich lakes and coastal bays they require. They're a true bird of the North and West. Are nest boxes effective for helping Barrow's Goldeneye populations? Extremely effective, but with a caveat. In areas where natural tree cavities have been lost to logging, nest boxes can be a fantastic conservation tool. Studies in British Columbia show high occupancy rates. However, the boxes must be placed correctly—near suitable water, high enough off the ground, with the right size hole to exclude larger competitors. The real solution is protecting stands of mature and dead trees (snags) near lakeshores, but boxes are a great stopgap. If you're on land they use, putting up a box is one of the most direct ways to help.
What's Inside This Guide
Spot the Difference: Barrow's vs. Common Goldeneye
Feature
Male Barrow's Goldeneye
Male Common Goldeneye
Head Color
Purplish-black gloss
Greenish-black gloss
Facial Patch
Thin white crescent in front of eye
Large round/oval patch behind bill
Body Sides
Black back extends in "spurs" down white sides
Clean line between black back and white sides
Wing Pattern (in flight)
Longer white stripe on inner wing
Shorter white wing patch
Where to Find Them: Prime Viewing Spots
Top Locations in Alaska & Western Canada
Key Wintering Grounds in the Pacific Northwest U.S.
Life on the Edge: Diet, Breeding, and Migration
Are Barrow's Goldeneyes at Risk?
Planning Your Barrow's Goldeneye Trip
Expert Answers to Your Goldeneye Questions
Barrow's Goldeneye: Where to Find This Stunning Diving Duck
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