Diet
The harlequin duck
dives to the bottom of streams, rivers, and shallow coastal waters for its food. In the summer, it probes on river and stream beds for the
larvae of flying insects like blackflies. In winter, the harlequin duck eats snails, periwinkles, shrimp, small clams, crabs, mussels, and fish eggs. It dives for food and pries its prey out of rocky crevices. The harlequin also uses a small hook at the end of its bill to pry
limpets
off of rocks! On warm days, the harlequin hauls out of the water and preens itself on rocks.
Life Cycle
The harlequin duck leaves its wintering grounds in late March and heads inland towards its summer breeding grounds. The male and female court each other with head bobs and by shaking their heads and dipping their bills down. Male and female pairs may mate for more than one year. The female usually chooses a nesting site near a fast-moving river or stream. The nest is made in a tree cavity, under a rocky ledge, under tree roots, or under a bush or log. The nest is lined with down and the female lays 3-9 eggs. The male leaves when the female begins incubating the eggs. The female
incubates the eggs for 28 or 29 days.
The mother leads the ducklings to water a day or two after they hatch. The chicks fledge at 40-50 days old.
Behavior
Harlequin ducks found in the coastal waters of the eastern United States are probably from a breeding population of about 1,800 harlequin ducks from southeastern Canada. These ducks winter as far south as Virginia, but as many as 1,000 winter in the Gulf of Maine, especially in Jericho and Penobscott Bay.
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