FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Ring-necked ducks are birds whose, at first glance, don't quite live up to their name. It isn't easy to spot the ring that is mentioned in their name. Only if you manage to hold them in your hands, will you notice the light brown ring beneath the shiny black region between their head and chest.
The ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) is a species of diving ducks living in freshwater ponds and lakes in North America. This scientific name relates to the Greek word 'aithuia', which refers to an unknown seabird described by Hesychius and Aristotle, and the Latin word 'collaris', which means 'of the neck'.
The adult male's color pattern is identical to that of its relative, the Eurasian tufted duck. Males of these North American diving ducks are somewhat larger than females. In North America and Canada, they breed in wooded lakes or wetlands. Northwest boreal forest territories are the primary spawning grounds and their breeding grounds are also observed in the eastern boreal zone of Canada, but not to the same extent as in the northwest. They can be found in southern North America's streams, wetlands, rivers, and bays during the winter season.
If you like these facts, you can read about the grebe and the laughing gull too.
This bird is a North American diving duck that can be found in freshwater ponds and lakes.
Ring-necked ducks belong to the class of Aves, and they love water.
According to a survey, there are about 600,000 breeding ring-necked ducks spread across North America.
The typical ring-necked duck habitat is a boreal forest. This species has a breeding range that extends from South Alaska, east through Canada, south to the northern Rockies and North Dakota, and north to the Great Lakes states and northern New England. The Taiga plains of north-central Canada and the boreal hardwood forests of southeastern Canada have the largest breeding densities. Winter migration can bring a change to their nest and habitat.
In boreal forests, this North American duck species lays its eggs in shallow, wooded ponds. These birds can be found in shallow wetlands, streams, slow-moving waterways, and marine estuaries during winter, but not in saltwater bays. In all seasons except winter (migration occurs in winter), shallow freshwater marshes with thick stands of submerged and emergent plants are favored by these birds. During winter, they take part in migration to warmer habitats.
Ring-necked ducks can form huge flocks. For example, several hundred thousand assemble each fall on certain lakes in Minnesota to feed on wild rice.
The lifespan of this bird ranges from five to 10 years in the wild. However, the longest living ring-necked duck lived up to 20 years in captivity.
During spring, ring-necked ducks pair up for breeding. Male bird courtship displays include lying with his head far back and then thrusting it forward or swimming with his head feathers erect and quickly nodding. Once a pair is formed, couples remain together for reproduction after which, they split up. The nest is built on a dry hummock, brush clump, or floating vegetation mat near open water. The nest is a shallow bowl shape and is made up of grasses, sedges, and weeds. The female ring-necked duck lays one egg in the nest every day, and each female bird lays up to eight or 10 eggs in her nest in total. They take 25–29 days to hatch, and the ring-necked duck female bird stays with her young until they can fly.
When it comes to the conservation status of this bird, it has been listed as Least Concern. The ring-necked duck, Aythya collaris is a breeding bird species whose population has been steadily increasing through the years.
Males are large black-and-gray ducks with a white hash mark on the chest and a dark head, black tail, black back, and gray sides. Females have a dark brown body with a pale cheek, a white spot near the bill, and a whitish eye-ring. The bill of adult males has a white ring.
A ring-necked duck is certainly a cute and attractive duck, with its shiny black and white feathers and its unique beak.
These birds make short calls and grunts to communicate. Males also perform a series of displays to attract mates and females make a distinct call known as high peeping.
The length of this duck is between 15.3-18.1 in (39-46 cm), while their wingspan is 24.4-24.8 in (62-63 cm).
The majority of ring-necked ducks travel at speeds of 40-60 mph (64-97 kph), with the species averaging about 50 mph (80 kph).
The weight of these North American birds is between 17.3-32.1 oz (490-910 g).
An adult male ring-necked duck is called a drake, and a female ring-necked duck is simply called a duck or a hen.
A baby ring-necked duck is called a duckling.
Insects and marine plants are common in their diet. Their diet varies depending on the season and the habitat that they are living in. Ring-necked ducks feed on the seeds, leaves, and roots of pondweeds, sedges, smartweeds, grasses, algae, and other aquatic plants and emergent vegetation. They also often eat mollusks and marine insects. Insects are the primary food source for young ducklings.
These ducks are not dangerous.
No, this bird belongs to the wild. They do fairly well in captivity as well, as their diet can be managed easily, and they only require a freshwater habitat to flourish. They are kept in captivity by qualified wildlife officials.
Unlike most diving ducks, the ring-necked duck can fly right out of the water without needing to run for take-off.
Some creatures like the red fox, the bald eagle, the raccoon, and great horned owls prey on the adult ring-necked duck. When they're a duckling, they are at risk of being eaten by large fish like bass too. Their eggs are also sometimes eaten by other birds, including the American mink and crows.
Only during a close inspection will you notice a ring of brown feathers between the ring-necked duck's head and chest. This feature is where these North American birds get their name from!
The differences to keep in mind to distinguish between the ring-necked duck, and the lesser and greater scaup birds are as follows. The ringneck's bill has a white ring and a black tip on its gray bill. On the other hand, the scaup has a blue bill with just a black tip. The bill of the greater scaup is larger than the bill of the lesser scaup. Also, in-flight, the ringneck has all-black wings, whereas the scaup has wings with a white edge. The greater scaup will have more white visible than the lesser scaup.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds, including the blue-winged teal or the common merganser.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Ring-Necked duck coloring pages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring-necked_duck
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-necked_Duck/id
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/ring-necked-duck
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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