Date: 2/8/26 11:02 am From: Malcolm Gold <malcolmgold...> Subject: Re: Barrows vs Common Goldeneye
It is quite challenging to separate out female Barrow's Goldeneyes and
sometimes they are left as unidentified. I have seen double digits or
orange billed Common Goldeneyes and a couple dark billed Barrow's
Goldeneyes. All of the photos submitted to eBird appear to have the large
bill and head shape of Common Goldeneye. It's even tougher when
descriptions are entered into eBird without photos for challenging
identifications, as the differences are very subtle.
Kudos to everyone who has tried to document the rarities with photos and
details rather than quick generalized descriptions.
Malcolm Gold (Overland Park, Kansas)
On Sun, Feb 8, 2026 at 12:01 PM Patricia Yeager <pyeagerbirder...>
wrote:
> I did see what appeared to me as a Common Goldeneye with an orange tipped
> bill ( the base dark grey). The head shape was not different than a
> Common. That said, I may have missed the Barrows Goldeneye .
>
> Patricia Yeager
> Manhattan
>
> On Fri, Feb 6, 2026 at 3:59 PM <chobbs.f1...> wrote:
>
> > Were there not two separate birds observed - one of each?
> >
> > Chris Hobbs
> > Lenexa
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Birds & Their Habitats in Kansas <KSBIRD-L...> On
> > Behalf Of Melissa Yates-Bruce
> > Sent: Friday, February 6, 2026 3:34 PM
> > To: <KSBIRD-L...>
> > Subject: Barrows vs Common Goldeneye
> >
> > Interesting chat on Kansas Birding. As it appears a lot of us are calling
> > an orange billed female Goldeneye a Barrows when, in fact, it is a (rare)
> > orange billed Common Goldeneye.
> >
> > It wont let me attach a pic.
> >
> >
> > I updated my list and others might need to also.
> >
> > Happy Birding,
> >
> > Melissa Bruce
> > Olathe, Ks
> >
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