THE NATURAL WORLD OF SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND THROUGH THE LENS OF CAPTAIN YVES- PART 11
The male Common Goldeneye as pictured above is a vibrant emerald gem in winter months with a hint of amber in the eye. Females had a chocolate brown head with the same “goldeneye”
Hunters dubbed the Common Goldeneye the “whistler” for the distinctive whistling sound of its wings in flight.
Eggs are laid in tree cavities or bird boxes. This means that chicks have to jump about 40 feet after the first day of being born down to their mother who waits at the base of the tree.
The eyes of a Common Goldeneye are grey-brown at hatching.
They turn purple-blue, then blue, then green-blue as they age. By five months of age they have become clear pale green-yellow.
Common Goldeneyes breed in the boreal forest, so winter is the best time for most people in North America to see them.