Harlequin Duck

Histrionicus histrionicus (Linnaeus, 1758)

≈37 cmLength562 gWeight

In the breeding season, the male has blue and chestnut feathers, with white patches on the face and neck.

Busiest months: January · Most records: United States, Canada, Iceland

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Breeding male has a white crescent-shaped patch in front of the eye
Breeding male has a white collar edged with black
Breeding male has a blue-gray body and chestnut flanks
Adult female brownish-gray with three white patches on the head

Male, female and young

Breeding male has colorful, complex plumage; adult female brownish-gray with three white patches on the head.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January · Most records: United States, Canada, Iceland

Harlequin Duck has been recorded at 263 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Clover PointCanada7,414 records
St. Paul IslandUnited States7,222 records
Barnegat Lighthouse SPUnited States6,871 records

More places

Halibut Point SPUnited States4,578 records
Oak Bay – Cattle PointCanada3,868 records
GambellUnited States3,855 records
Calgary – Carburn ParkCanada3,479 records
Ocean City InletUnited States2,484 records
Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal JettyCanada2,225 records
Sooke – Whiffin Spit ParkCanada2,126 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Iceland Japan St. Pierre & Miquelon South Korea Russia China

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) is a small sea duck. It takes its name from Harlequin (Italian Arlecchino, French Arlequin), a colourfully dressed character in the commedia dell'arte theatre of Italy. The species name comes from the Latin word histrio, meaning "actor".

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Harlequin Duck?

The Harlequin Duck is about ≈37 cm long and weighs around 562 g.

Where does the Harlequin Duck live?

Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: northeastern Siberia, Chukotka, Kamchatka, and Sakhalin peninsulas, Kuril Islands, Hokkaido and northern Honshu (central Japan); Aleutian Islands, Alaska, western Canada, Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mount states; northeastern Canada, southern Greenland and Iceland. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Iceland.

When is the best time to see the Harlequin Duck?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Harlequin Duck endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Harlequin Duck as Least Concern.

What does the Harlequin Duck eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Harlequin Duck in?

It belongs to the family Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae), order Anseriformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈37 cm
Weight: 562 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: On the water surface
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 194 mm
Tail: 88 mm
Bill: 27 mm
Tarsus: 33 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Palearctic: northeastern Siberia, Chukotka, Kamchatka, and Sakhalin peninsulas, Kuril Islands, Hokkaido and northern Honshu (central Japan); Aleutian Islands, Alaska, western Canada, Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mount states; northeastern Canada, southern Greenland and Iceland

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2