Harlequin Ducks

Other Names- Painted Duck- Mountain Duck- Squealer

The Harlequin Ducks are the lords and ladies of the water.

One place in North America where you will find the Harlequin Ducks is near and on The Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park. The Maligne Valley is a popular area for visitors to Jasper National Park. The Maligne Lake outlet comprises the highest recognized collection of Harlequin Ducks in Jasper National Park. The section gives people several chances to experience birds, like the Harlequin Duck and participate in a variety of recreational activities like other sight seeing excursions. One of Parks Canada's aim is to respect and support the critical ecosystem. The male at adulthood stands about 17 inches tall with its head, back, rump and tail colored a slate blue with a purplish tint. Between the male's bill and eyes are white patches curving upward and backward. The color changes to chestnut as the patches reach along the nape of the neck. The male Harlequin Duck has a long white streak on side of the upper neck and a white collar around his neck. The male's wings have a white crescent bar in front of wings and white streaks on its back. His side and flanks are largely chestnut with white spots at base of tail. The male Harlequin Duck's feet are grayish blue and the web of its feet are dusky. The iris of its eyes are brown. The female's colors are similar to male but duller and the young duck's markings are similar to the female. It takes three years for the Harlequin Duck to reach this perfect coloration.

The distribution of the Harlequin Duck is in Northern North America and Eastern Asia. The Harlequin Ducks breed from Alaska on the Arctic Coast to British Columbia and from Greenland south to Newfoundland. You will also find them in the mountains of California and Colorado, Northeastern Asia and in Iceland. The Harlequin Duck winters on the Pacific Coast in the Aleutian Islands to California and on the Atlantic Coast from Maine to New York. It is essential that the females increase their body weight by eating well to multiply success fully. The outlet section of Maligne Lake is an area of high density of these birds during the pre-nesting phase. Harlequins return to the same sites or river expanse yearly and procreate on the same streams where they were born. They are particular in their

Go To Page: 1 2