Ring-Necked Duck
Aythya collaris
The photograph on the left is of a male Ring-Necked Duck, and that on the right is of a female. This pair was observed on Lake Anza in Tilden Regional Park, CA on Dec. 27, 2016 (the only two of this species seen at that time). The species is a diving duck (as opposed to dabbling), normally only seen in the San Francisco Bay Area during the nonbreeding ("winter") months. It prefers inland, freshwater locations like lakes and ponds, generally in small flocks, but much larger ones in some areas due to habitat loss. During the breeding season, most of the west coast population migrates north to Alaska and Canada. The species can be found throughout North America, generally following the same north-south migration pattern as described for the west coast. (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)