BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Bucephala islandica
Barrow's Goldeneye
| Scientific Name: | Bucephala islandica (Gmelin, 1789) | ||||||||||
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| English Name: | Barrow's Goldeneye | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | B-BAGO | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G5 (Apr 2016) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S4S5 (Mar 2015) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Yellow | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 4 - Secure (2005) | ||||||||||
| Migratory Bird Convention Act: | Y | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Global Reproduction Comments: | Clutch size is 6-15 (usually 10-13). Incubation, by female, lasts about 30 days. In British Columbia, mean hatching date is mid- to late June (Savard et al. 1991). Nestlings are precocial and downy. Pair bond may last more than 1 year (Savard 1985). Intraspecific nest parasitism is common (Savard 1988). | ||||||||||
| Global Ecology Comments: | In summer usually found in small, scattered groups. In winter often seen in large flocks. | ||||||||||
| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
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Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
N / Y / Y / na / |
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| Global Migration Comments: | Migrates northward and inland to breeding areas in April. Migrates southward and to the coast October-November (Terres 1980). In British Columbia, breeding and wintering areas for some individuals were 320 km apart (Savard 1985). | ||||||||||
| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Agriculture / Cultivated Field / Facultative - occasional use
Agriculture / Hedgerow / Facultative - occasional use Agriculture / Pasture/Old Field / Facultative - occasional use Forest / Conifer Forest - Dry / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Conifer Forest - Mesic (average) / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Conifer Forest - Moist/wet / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Deciduous/Broadleaf Forest / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Mixed Forest (deciduous/coniferous mix) / Facultative - frequent use Lakes / Lake / Facultative - frequent use Lakes / Pond/Open Water / Facultative - frequent use Ocean / Intertidal Marine / Facultative - frequent use Ocean / Sheltered Waters - Marine / Facultative - frequent use Ocean / Subtidal Marine / Facultative - frequent use Other Unique Habitats / Alkali Ponds/Salt Flats / Facultative - frequent use Other Unique Habitats / Estuary / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Riparian Forest / Facultative - frequent use Stream/River / Stream/River / Facultative - occasional use Wetland / Bog / Facultative - frequent use Wetland / Fen / Facultative - frequent use Wetland / Marsh / Facultative - frequent use Wetland / Swamp / Facultative - frequent use |
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| Global Habitat Comments: | Winters on lakes, rivers, estuaries, and bays. Usually nests near lake or pond surrounded by dense vegetation. May nest in wooded or open country. Usually nests in a natural tree cavity, abandoned woodpecker hole, rock cavity, stream bank. Often nests in same area in successive years. | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: |
Invertivore: Adult, Immature
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| Global Food Habits Comments: | In fresh water forages for aquatic insects, crustaceans, some plant food, small fishes, and fish eggs. In salt water feeds on mollusks (especially blue mussels), some seastars, and marine worms, etc. | ||||||||||
| Global Phenology: |
Diurnal: Adult, Immature
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| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
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| Colonial Breeder: | N | ||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | 46/ / 1090 | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: |
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| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | BREEDS: southeastern Alaska, northern Mackenzie, northwestern British Columbia south to eastern Washington, southwestern Oregon, eastern California; Colorado Rockies; Quebec, Labrador, Greenland, Iceland. WINTERS: southern Alaska south along coast to central California (mainly from Washington northward); locally from southern British Columbia and northern Montana to northern Nevada, Utah, Colorado; from Gulf of St. Lawrence south to New York, rarely to South Carolina. | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | Hammerson, G. | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Mar 16, 1994 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp. |
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Bellrose, F.C. 1976. Ducks, geese and swans of North America. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA. |
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Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I.McT. Cowan, J.M. Cooper, G. Kaiser, and M.C.E. McNall. 1990. The Birds of British Columbia, Vol. 1. Nonpasserines: Introduction, Loons through Waterfowl. Royal B.C. Mus. in association with Environ. Can., Can. Wildl. Serv. 514pp. |
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Harrison, C. 1978. A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio. |
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Root, T. 1988. Atlas of wintering North American birds: An analysis of Christmas Bird Count data. University of Chicago Press. 336 pp. |
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Savard, J. L. 1988. Use of nest boxes by Barrow's goldeneyes: nesting success and effect on the breeding population. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 16:125-132. |
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Savard, J.-P. L. 1985. Evidence of long-term pair bonds in Barrow's Goldeneye (BUCEPHALA ISLANDICA). Auk 102:389-391. |
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Savard, J.-P. L., G. E. J. Smith, and J. N. M. Smith. 1991. Duckling mortality in Barrow's goldeneye and bufflehead broods. Auk 108:568-577. |
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Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. |
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Tobish, T. 1987. Separation of Barrow's and common goldeneyes in all plumages. Birding 18(1):17-27. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 1994. Species Summary: Bucephala islandica. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Oct 3, 2026).