Ring-necked duck
Image copyright by Mark A. Chappell
Ring-necked are small diving ducks that are common on California freshwater ponds and lakes in winter. Like some birds their name is not a very useful description of appearnce. Males do have a thin purplish or reddish (or so it is described) neck ring but it is extremely hard to see -- a better name would be ring-billed duck. The neck ring is visible in the upper right image -- barely. Females (below, right) are brownish but sport a delicate eye-ring and a 'ringed' bill almost as striking as that of the boys. These photos were taken on a drizzly day at a small pond in Temecula, California, and at a duck pond in San Diego, California .
