Common Goldeneye

I've seen the common goldeneye (a duck) twice previously. First was near the Causeway on Antelope Island in Utah on November 23 and 25, 2019. I saw lots of both males and females. Second was a male only on January 17, 2022 on a small private reservoir in Mentone, California, not far from where we live. On Friday, January 2, 2026 I'd scouted out several places on eBird hotspots ahead of time and noted common goldeneyes at Bolsa Chica, among other birds - I'd forgotten I'd seen them previously. As I looked at my itinerary New Years evening, I looked up iNaturalist and noted I'd seen the common goldeneye previously, but only twice, and decided Bolsa Chica was still a good place to visit for other reasons as well, in addition to a desire to see the common goldeneye again. Several photos are below, plus illustrations from Birds of the World and a range map from Birds of the World. 

Both are females. Note one has a mostly black bill, one has a yellow tip on the bill and some can have a mostly yellowish bill. Note the illustration below has a partially yellow bill on the female. Note that the first bird, above, has a third eyelid, a nictating membrane, partially covering the eye which does not show up on the other photos. It can be drawn across the eye to protect and moisten it.  

Illustration of a female.

Illustration of a male. 

Like the surf scoter I posted on yesterday, the common goldeneye breeds in the north and winters in the south, although the range of the common goldeneye is much larger, including the winter range which is limited to the coasts (for the surf scoter) only.