Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus – off Saturna Island, British Columbia
If there were a bird beauty contest, the Harlequin Duck would be a contender. Not only does this sea duck, especially the male, have exquisite plumage, but Harlequin Ducks live in exquisite surroundings. This is due to their habitat preference for fast-flowing waters.
Harlequin Ducks are one of the few waterfowl species that breed on forested mountain streams in the North Cascades, Northern Rockies and Selkirks in the West and in the Laurentian Mountains in northeastern Canada. They spend winters on rocky shorelines with turbulent wave action and strong tidal currents. In the spring and summer, you can find them in mountain streams in places like Glacier, North Cascade or Olympic National Parks. During fall and winter, they inhabit places like the San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, or coastal Maine, the latter of which has up to half of the eastern wintering population of Harlequin Ducks. These are very scenic places indeed, frequented by one of the most beautiful ducks found in nature.
Harlequin Ducks eat insects, fish and marine invertebrates, often on or near the bottom of the sea/river. They are considered to be sea ducks due to a combination of their diving skills, salt-water and cold weather tolerance, and their preference for animal foods. The name “harlequin” is derived from comic entertainers in Europe who wore colorful, distinctively patterned costumes, thus the Latin name for this striking duck: “Histrionicus histrionicus.”
The eastern population of Harlequin Duck is on the Canadian Endangered Species list and Harlequins are considered threatened in Maine. They are a “species of special concern” in the western United States. Seeing them in their scenic environs is a sight to behold.
Sources: Allaboutbirds.com – Cornell Lab of Ornithology website; Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, David Allen Sibley; Webster’s New World Dictionary.
