Trivia question for Jul-23-2011

Carter picked this bird because he was so surprised to find out where they live.  Lets see how you do with this one.  Adult males are slate blue with chestnut sides and white markings including a white crescent at the base of the bill. Adult females are less colorful, with brownish-grey plumage and a white patch on the head around the eye. Both adults have a white ear-patch.

These birds feed by swimming under water or diving. They also dabble. They eat molluscs, crustaceans and insects. They have smooth, densely packed feathers that trap a lot of air within them. This is vital for insulating such small bodies against the chilly waters they ply. It also makes them exceptionally buoyant, making them bounce like corks after dives.

So here are Carter’s questions:  Tell us what this bird is and where they can be found?  Also, tell us where these birds got their name from?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations are in order for Dannie Bollinger-Smith from Covington, Washington for being the first to identify the distinguished bird that we featured. The bird is known as the Harlequin Duck.  The Harlequin Duck, is a small sea duck. It takes its name from Arlecchino, Harlequin in French, a colorfully dressed character in Commedia dell’arte. The species name comes from the Latin word “histrio”, “actor”. In North America it is also known as Lords and ladies. Other names include painted duck, totem pole duck, rock duck, glacier duck, mountain duck, white-eyed diver, squeaker and blue streak.

Their breeding habitat is cold fast moving streams in north-western and north-eastern North America, Greenland, Iceland and western Russia. The nest is usually located in a well-concealed location on the ground near a stream. They are usually found near pounding surf and white water. They are short distance migrants and most winter near rocky shorelines on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They are very rare migrants to western Europe.  Here is more on these fine feathered friends: Harlequin Duck

Thanks for playing along 😉