| Common Name | Harlequin duck |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Histrionicus histrionicus |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 12/15/2021 |
| Media |  |
| Number Observed | 2 One male, one female |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Jill Potter |
| Mailing Address | PO Box 644 Bomoseen, VT 05732 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 12/17/2021 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43 37’ 20” N |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 73 13’ 18” W |
| Place Name | Lake Bomoseen |
| Township | Bomoseen |
| County | Rutland |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 10:00 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 2 hours |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 1000 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 200 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Calm water, sunny |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Swarovski spotting scope 20-60 |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Only in books! |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Southern part of lake, wide open water. Fairly close to shore. Seen with 50 Common Goldeneye ducks, lone Hooded Merganser |
| Behaviors Observed | Diving and also skimming bill near the surface |
| Description of Vocalizations | None |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | All of the ducks in the group were swimming primarily north and south and diving often. Group would occasionally fly a short distance on the lake but seemed content with feeding near us. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Smaller than a loon, duck like shape! Plump |
| Head | White, large , teardrop shaped patches on either side of bill, white ring around neck, white spot on nape and rump, white stripes on wings, chestnut sides. |
| Feet & Bill | Did not see feet, Bill unremarkable, possibly grey or brown |
| Upper Back | Dark |
| Lower Back & Rump | Dark |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Grey breast, chestnut belly |
| Tail | Guessing 6” , was not long or upward pointing |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Wood duck eliminated due to the diving nature of the duck. This bird stood out from the beautiful Goldeneyes because of its white , very decorative white markings and chestnut belly. |
| Other Notes & Comments | We saw a male and female and were able to observe at length and quite leisurely from inside our home. Comparing the duck to an old Audubon Field guide photo of Harlequin duck was mirror like. We really had no other duck to consider other than briefly a wood duck.Then it dove, again and again with the other ducks. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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