Common Goldeneye

Erika and I also found a male Common Goldeneye on 23 November 2020 at Woodard Bay near Olympia. Both Common and Barrow’s goldeneyes can be found on the same locations during the winter here. The Common Goldeneye has a much wider range than the Barrow’s. Common Goldeneyes breed in boreal forests in both the New and the Old worlds. Note the round, rather than crescent-shaped, white patch below the golden eye. Also diagnostic is the gentle slope to the Common Goldeneye’s forehead. The Barrow’s Goldeneye’s forehead rises almost straight up from its bill—compare this photo to the Barrow’s Goldeneye in my last post. I think the Common Goldeneye’s bill is not as stubby as that of a Barrow’s Goldeneye.