Female Ring-necked Ducks (Male vs Female Identification)

Ring-necked ducks are small diving ducks that breed in shallow freshwater wetlands in northern North America. It’s easy to tell a male from a female if you know what to look for, so read on, and you’ll soon be making ID calls with confidence, even from faraway lake shores.

The body color of the female ring neck duck is mainly dark brown, the abdomen is light brown, and there are gray markings on the face. They have a distinctive angular head with an inverted crest at the rear. However, despite their names, there are no visible rings around their necks.

Outside of the breeding season, male ring-necked ducks — usually black, white and gray — molt into feathers that are less striking than their usual distinctive markings, and they are more similar in appearance to females.

However, when the hatching starts to separate in pairs, there is no doubt that any ring necked ducklings you see brooding or accompanying ducklings are females.

One of the smaller species of diving ducks, the female ring-necked duck is similar in appearance to the female spotted, ruddy, and female tufted ducks. By reading the guide below, you’ll learn how to tell these similar-looking waterbirds apart.

Ring-necked duck (female) swimming in the lake

How to tell if a ring necked duck is male or female?

Male and female ring-necked ducks differ in appearance and are easy to distinguish, mainly during the breeding season. Males are predominantly glossy black with gray sides and underparts and bright yellow eyes. In contrast, females are predominantly brown, with gray and white facial markings, white eye rims, and brown eyes.

The male has a white triangular patch where the wings meet the thorax, the base of the gray beak is marked with a white outline, and there is a distinct white band over the tip that is black. Their eyes are bright yellow.

Both males and females have the same unusual head shape, with a flat back and a reverse crown at the back of the crown. Males are slightly larger than females, but there is some overlap in the size ranges of the sexes, and from a distance, any differences are not very noticeable.

After the breeding season is over, the males molt into a non-breeding (eclipse) plumage that is duller than the striking black and white colors they see in spring.

However, it is still easy to distinguish unbreeding males from females, as the males’ eyes are still yellow compared to the females’ brown eyes.Males in eclipse plumage are darker than females, with a black back, dark black head, and taupe sides

female ring neck duck

male ring necked duck

What does a female ring necked duck look like?

The female ring-necked duck has an angular head with a short tip at the top and back of the head. They have dark brown backs and light brown flanks and wings. Their heads are gray with fine white markings around the base of the beak, and the chin and throat are light brownish gray.

The beak of the female ring-necked duck is gray with a light band across it. Females have brown eyes with white rims and gray-blue legs and feet.

Despite the species’ name, the rings visible on the necks of ring-necked ducks are not one of the main distinguishing features of male or female ring-necked ducks. Up close, brown feather collars are faintly visible on breeding males but not on females.

Closeup of a female ring necked duck

size difference

Although the size ranges for male and female ring-necked ducks overlap somewhat, male ring-necked ducks are generally slightly larger in length and weight. Females range in length from 39 cm to 43 cm (15.4 in to 16.9 in), while males range in length from 40 to 46 cm (15.7 to 18.1 in).

Adult female ringnecks weigh between 490 and 894 grams (17.3 ounces and 31.5 ounces), while males are slightly heavier, between 542 and 910 grams (19.1 and 32.1 ounces).

Male and female ring-necked ducks swimming together

behavioral difference

The ring-necked duck is a migratory species that breeds in Canada and the northern United States, and winters further south and inland into the southern and central United States. Males go to the wintering grounds before females.

Neither males nor females are particularly territorial, and they will abandon the nest later in the breeding cycle if the females feel threatened.

call

There is not much data documenting the distinct calls of male and female ring-necked ducks, and they have been observed to be a relatively quiet and non-vocal species.

During courtship, the male can be heard making a faint, low-pitched whistle, while the female’s call has been likened to a soft purr.

Male ring necked ducks have different plumage outside of the breeding season and they look more like females – note the bright yellow eyes of the males

nesting and feeding

Prior to nesting season, pairs of birds go on prospecting trips together to identify suitable nesting sites. Females swim into areas of flooded vegetation, while males remain vigilant at a distance in open water.

The nest site is determined up to 12 days before spawning, and the female gathers sedge and other waterside vegetation material to form a rough bowl-like structure on which to lay her eggs.

The male may accompany the female to the nest until the brood is complete, but once hatching begins, the pair bond disappears and the male ring-necked duck no longer actively participates in raising the young or supports the female in feeding and parental care.

Male and female ring-necked ducks have roughly the same diet composition, a large portion of which is vegetable matter foraged while diving underwater, as well as aquatic animals.

During the breeding season, females were observed to consume foods that included more larvae, leeches, snails, clams, and dragonfly nymphs than at other times of the year.

A pair of left male and female right ring neck ducks

bird similar to the female ring-necked duck

Head shape, rather than feathers, was the key identifier for female ring-necked ducks when viewed with similar species. Their flattened, angular heads contrast sharply with the round heads of female tufted ducks, although females of both species have a dark brown color and do look similar from a distance.

Female belt-backed ducks are also very similar to female ring-necked ducks, with the same brown plumage and body shape, but with yellow eyes and a distinct white patch around the base of the beak.

The male spotted-headed eclipse plume is another contender that confuses lakeshore watchers. They are the same blend of browns, but again, the males have yellow eyes instead of the brown of the female ring necked duck.

The female red-necked duck is probably the closest species to the female ring-necked duck in appearance, with the same white rings around the eyes and brown-gray plumage, but ring-necked females are slightly smaller and their head shape is easier to confidently give an accurate ID.

A flock of male ring-necked ducks chasing a female

common problem

Can female ring neck ducks be reared alone?

Female ring-necked ducks raise their young without any input or intervention from their mates. When hatching begins, the pair bond is lost, so the female ring-necked duck usually raises her young by herself, from brooding to accompanying and protecting the young during the first few weeks of their lives before they hatch.

What color is a female ring necked duck?

Female ring-necked ducks are predominantly dark brown with light brown sides and a light gray head with white markings around the beak.

Do female ring-necked ducks bark?

There is not much literature on the call of ring-necked ducks, and it is not usually observed that they are a very loud species. Females can be heard purring softly at their mates during courtship, but beyond these reports, little is known.