Harlequin Duck

Histrionicus histrionicus

In winter, the Harlequin Duck is a bird of the coastal ocean where their diet includes mollusks, crustaceans, a few small fish, fish eggs and marine worms. When breeding, it favors fast-moving, turbulent waters and feeds mostly on aquatic insects.

Though not well understood, North America’s east coast population of these birds seems to have declined over the past hundred years, while the west coast population seems more stable. Outside of North America there are populations in northeastern Asia, the west coast of Greenland, and in Iceland.