Sea ducks
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
A small, boldly patterned duck that thrives in crashing white water.
- Length
- 33–46 cm
- Wingspan
- 56–66 cm
- Weight
- 470–760 g
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
About this duck
Harlequin ducks breed along fast, tumbling mountain streams and spend the winter in rough surf off rocky coasts, places most ducks avoid. They dive and walk along the bottom against strong currents, picking insect larvae, snails and small crabs off the rocks. It's a tough way to live: X-rays and museum specimens show that many adults carry healed broken bones.
How to spot one
Drakes are slate blue with chestnut sides and bold white spots and stripes outlined in black, like a jester's costume. Females are dusky brown with white patches on the face, including a round spot behind the eye.