Identification Tips:
Length: 12 inches Wingspan: 26 inches
Small diving duck
Small gray bill
Dark wings
Adult male alternate:
Blue-gray head and body
White crescent behind bill
Two white patches on side of head
White streaks on neck and breast
White scapulars
Brown flanks
Black tail, undertail covert, and uppertail coverts
Immature male similar to adult male but plumage duller
Adult female:
Two to three distinct spots on head
Brown head and body
Pale belly
Glossy slate-blue plumage enlivened by white stripes and spots give the adult male harlequin a striking appearance. The female resembles a small female scoter. At a distance, both sexes look black. Flight is swift, with abrupt turns. Flocks are small and compact. Ranges both coasts, north from New Jersey and San Francisco. Uncommon.
