Hi Ontbiders
With the influx of Goldeneyes during the past week along the Ottawa River I've been closely looking through the flocks for both male and female Barrow's Goldeneyes. Today, October 30th, I observed an orange-yellow billed female Common Goldeneye at Shirley's Bay. This is the 3rd individual that I have observed during the past week and I've had a few local birders report possible female Barrow's that have turned out to be Common Goldeneyes. The bill colour of female Barrow's is only an aid to the identification and it is not diagnostic. Most important is to look at the head shape. The head of the female Barrow's Goldeneye has an oval shape created by a steep forehead, flat crown and elongated hind neck feathers like a mane. The latter gives the appearance of a swept back crest, similar to the male Barrow's and female Hooded Merganser. The head shape of the Common Goldeneye lacks the " puffiness" of the female Barrow's. It has a rounded rather than flat crown and a sloping forehead. For more information see identification article below. Recognizable Forms: Bill Colour and Identification of Female Barrow's Goldeneye By Bruce Di Labio, Ron Pittaway and Peter Burke Ontario Birds, Vol. 15, No. 2, Pages 81-85, 1997. Good birding, Bruce Di Labio and Ron Pittaway [EMAIL PROTECTED] & [EMAIL PROTECTED] Di Labio Birding Website Courses and Field Trips http://www3.sympatico.ca/bruce.dilabio/ Bruce Di Labio 400 Donald B. Munro Drive P.O. Box 538 Carp, Ontario, K0A1L0 Home (613) 839-4395 Cell (613) 715-2571 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
