Bird of the week: common goldeneye
About: A medium-sized diving duck. Males have white undersides and necks with iridescent green-black heads, black backs, yellow-golden eyes and a white spot above the bill. Females have a gray body and wings with white wing patches and a brown head with a black bill with a yellow dot at the end.
Where to find this bird: Anywhere along the Fox River where water is deeper. It dives frequently.
When to find this bird: Late October–April
Fun fact: When they fly, goldeneyes make a whistling sound. If you can make it to a large body of open water in winter where there are large flocks (often over a thousand) of goldeneye, you can hear this distinctive sound frequently!