Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck, Clangula hyemalis

Sioux Lookout, Burlington, ON

22 January 2012

Waterfowl the world over provide the avian world with some of the most stunning contrasts in plumage, and the Long-tailed Duck is surely no exception. Graceful and elegant, its distinctive plumage almost resembles the work of a child with a felt tip marker. This species is common on Lake Ontario during the winter months where, among other food sources, it feeds on the invasive Zebra Mussel. It is a great pleasure to hear a group of these ducks chattering to each other as they rest on the water. Nothing enlivens a cold winter's day quite so well.