By Kendra Morrison
Geographic Range
The Ring-necked Duck, Aythya collaris, is found across North America with the exception of the arctic region. They are also in the West Indies (Soothill and Whitehead 1996).
Habitat
The Ring-necked Duck's usual breeding grounds are sedge-meadow marshes, swamps, and bogs with waters ranging from fresh to somewhat acidic in pH (Johnsgard 1978).
Terrestrial Biomes:
taiga 
; savanna or grassland .
Physical Description
(24.29 to 27.81 oz)
The adult male is measured between 195 to 206 mm (7.67 to 8.11 inches). The female is smaller than the male in all aspects. Her measurements are between 185 to 195 mm (7.28 to 7.67 inches).
The male has a large body and the color of his head, neck and breast are black. The flanks of the male are gray. There is a white crescent that seperates the flanks from the breast. The bill has a black tip and rings of gray around the base.
The female has tan sides, a brown back and a white belly. Her bill ring is less pronounced than the male. Her head is smaller and the eyes are usually found to be a darker color than the male (Johnsgard 1978; Gooders 1986; Sternberg and Simpson 1997).
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
The nests of the Ring-necked Duck are built on floating islands or in open marshes. The female is the one who selects the area to build a nest. The male just stands by the female, but does not participate in the work. The female starts laying her eggs during the month of May. The nest starts to form to its full shape after the third or fourth egg is laid. Completed clutches of 8 - 9 eggs are considered typical, but can range from 6 to 14 eggs. The eggs are a milky white color. The size of the eggs are 55 x 41 mm (2.16 x 1.61 inches).
The female incubates a period of 26 to 27 days. (Johnsgard 1978; Soothhill and Whitehead 1996; Field 1999).
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous .
Behavior
The ducks start pairing up with their mates during March and April. When it is time for courtship between the two, the males are known to throw their head back, and turn the head towards the female as it swims away. The female then follows behind the male.
The Ring-necked Ducks migrate in small groups and nest close to each other. The male and females are kept in separate groups until it is time for mating season (Soothhill and Whitehead 1996; Johnsgard 1978).
Food Habits
Ring-necked Ducks are usually considered to be vegetarian. Typically about eighty percent of the diet consists of seeds, pondweeds and tubers, with pondweeds being the major component. The do however supplement their diets with insect larvae, mollusks, worms, and crustaceans. (Gooders 1986).
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
None
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Ring-necked Ducks are popular among hunters. Hunters buy guns, bullets, special clothes for camouflage, as well as other items to use. The ducks are the economic importance for the shops that sell hunting materials (Sternberg and Simpson 1997).
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Least Concern.
US Migratory Bird Act: [link]:
Protected.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
State of Michigan List: [link]:
No special status.
The Ring-necked Ducks are less susceptible to loss of breeding habitat through marsh drainage than are canvasbacks and redheads, and breed in areas of minimal agricultural significance and human disturbance. They are not in any way in present danger of extinction or being over used (Johnsgard 1978).
For More Information
Find Aythya collaris information at
Contributors
Kendra Morrison (author), Fresno City College.
Carl Johansson (editor), Fresno City College.
