Ducks & Geese

Harlequin Duck

Kragenente

Histrionicus histrionicus

Ducks & Geese3 photosFirst seen: 8 August 2026

The Harlequin Duck is a small sea duck adapted to fast-moving water. Males are patterned in blue-grey, chestnut and white, while females are dark brown with white spots on the face. In winter it dives for marine invertebrates along rocky coasts and in surf. During the breeding season it moves inland to cold, fast-flowing mountain streams. The species often remains close to shore and rests on exposed rocks.

ID tip: A small, compact sea duck. Females and young are dark brown with a round white ear-spot and a white spot at the base of the small bill; drakes are slate-blue with white stripes and chestnut flanks.

First seen: 8 August 2026 · Lyre Conservation Area · 3 photos in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Kenai Fjords23 August 2026 Lyre Conservation Area8 August 2026

Family: Ducks & Geese (Anatidae)
Length: 33–45 cm
Wingspan: 56–66 cm
Regional status: Winter visitor (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Turbulent rocky coast in winter; fast mountain rivers to breed
Diet: Tidal invertebrates: crabs, snails and mussels

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Harlequin Duck

Places in my records

Selected photographs