Ring-necked Duck at Lake Cherefull in Roswell, Ga. USA 1/7/2026 The Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) is a North American diving duck, named for a faint, rarely visible neck ring on the male, but better identified by its peaked head, white bill ring, and white shoulder mark. Males are black with gray sides, while females are brown with a pale cheek and white bill patch, both having a distinctive head shape. They are common migrants and winter residents, found in freshwater wetlands, and dive fo

Identify Ring-necked Ducks 2019

Ring-necked Ducks are perhaps the masters of the “bend and snap” method. Other than using the iconic move, males will swim rapidly while nodding their heads or pretend they’re preening their wings to impress females. Spring is a great time to observe these unique behaviors! Video by Mick Thompson [Video Description: A video following a Ring-necked Duck male performing a mating ritual. The male bends his head all the way towards his back and then quickly returns his head to its normal position. A

10K views · 161 reactions | This video was filmed when Tori Mezebish, the University of Georgia graduate student on the ring-necked duck project, was visiting Delta Marsh to gain experience in the prairie pothole region. Tori nicely explains how the snow line that was late in melting delayed the spring migration of ringers. | Delta Waterfowl Foundation | Facebook