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Ring-necked duck        Images © 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 two images -- 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 .

  • all: Canon 10D, 1D Mk. II, 1D3, 1D4, or 7D2; 500 mm IS lens with 1.4X or 2X converter or 800 mm lens, fill-in flash (2004- 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015)