Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus)

                                                                             Photo by Ina Rodina

This photo of nor just one, but two, Harlequin Ducks was taken recently on the Toronto waterfront of Lake Ontario.

Harlequin Ducks are small ducks with rounded heads and stubby bills found on rocky coasts and shorelines, and inland along swift streams when nesting.   They are found along both eastern and western coasts in Canada.   They are rare south to the Carolinas and in the Great Lakes...casual in the interior.

The Harlequin is mostly silent, except during the breeding season.   It makes various squeaks and whistles and according to ornithologist Kenn Kaufman is sometimes called the"sea mouse". 

Please comment if you wish. 

BarrytheBirder