The first photo is a male Barrow's Goldeneye that Erika and I listed on 14 November 2019 at Woodard Bay Natural Area near Olympia. The second is of a male Common Goldeneye we found in Olympia on 16 November. The two goldeneyes are similar. Compare the sicke-shaped head spot on the Barrow’s. This spot is round on the Common Goldeneye. The white spots on the back indicate that we have a Barrow’s Goldeneye. I have only recently learned that the head shape helps separate these ducks. In both sexes, the forhead of the Barrow’s Goldeneye comes off the bill at a steep angle, whereas the head of the Common Goldeneye is much more gently rounded.
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