We often remark about the ill-chosen common name of the Ring-necked Duck, a bird that sports prominent rings on the bill, but not on the neck. Well, there are colored rings on the neck of the Ring-necked Duck, but they are seen mainly when the neck is extended, and even then the light has to be striking the black neck feathers at just the right angle to produce the broad maroon band on the neck, another example of "structural color". The female does not show any iridescence.
The photo here was taken in December at Lloyd Lake in Golden Gate Park (see below for directions). This small lake is favored by folks that bring kids to feed bread to the ducks, so it can be off-putting. That said, it's often a great spot to view Ring-necked Ducks in winter, along with Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Scaups and gulls.
Sometimes only a portion of the ring can be seen, as here:
and another:
No comments:
Post a Comment