Ring-necked duck

Ring-necked duck photographed in Manitoba

Despite its name, the thin chestnut ring on the neck of a ring-necked duck is almost impossible to see. The better field marks are the white ring around the bill, the peaked head, and the crisp white bar on the side of the black-backed drake.

A diving duck, it favours small wooded ponds, bogs, and marshes, and it feeds on seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates. It nests on floating vegetation near the water’s edge, and in Manitoba it breeds in the northern and central parts of the province. Large numbers pass through in spring and fall, often stopping on lakes and flooded fields.

I like the neat white ring on the bill of a ring-necked duck, the best field mark on a duck named for a collar that is almost never visible.

To find out more about the ring-necked duck and the places it lives, visit All About Birds.

Field notes in photographs

  • Ring-necked duck photographed in Manitoba
  • Two male and one female ring-necked duck swimming past reeds, Manitoba

Ring-necked duck Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the ring-necked duck in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the ring-necked duck nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the ring-necked duck in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield, the Taiga Shield, the Boreal Plains, and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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