Golden Gaze: All About the Common Goldeneye

by Isabella Flores, age 7

The Common Goldeneye is a unique bird that is known for its bright yellow eyes.

The golden eye bird primarily resides near large bodies of water like lakes and rivers, they also live in boreal forest. They nest in trees located in North America in regions across Canada and Alaska. The best time to see these birds is during the winter.

Along with its mesmerizing eyes, the Common Goldeneye has colorful features across its body. The male Goldeneye has a green-black head and a black-and-white body. The female has a brown head and eyes of the same color.

When they are born their eyes are grayish brown and as they age their eyes become more yellow. Female Common Goldeneye lay their eggs in their nests or even other female nests. They may even lay their eggs in nests of other species like ducks. When chicks hatch, they can leave the nest within a day! These chicks can also feed themselves after leaving the nest and only require protection for the first parts of their life. When it comes to their diet, these birds dive for their food which are mostly fish and invertebrates.

The Common Goldeneye is a skilled bird that thrives in cold environments. Unlike many species, these birds are independent at a young age and learn to survive quickly.

[Sources: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Cornell University]