Males are distinctly marked with a black head, neck, chest and back, and a clear white and gray patch on their sides. Despite their name, however, the ring-necked duck’s most visibly distinctive “ring” is a white ring around an otherwise dark gray and black bill. While I personally would have named this bird a “ring-billed duck”, its common name, as well as its scientific name “collaris,” actually refer to the difficult to see dark chestnut-colored collar on its black neck. In addition to its coloration, the duck’s peaked head shape can also be useful for field identification. Like many birds that have sexually dimorphic coloration, female ring-necked ducks are mostly brown. They do, however, have a white strip on their face behind the bill and the same white “ring” or band around their dark colored bill.

Ring-necked ducks are only present in Massachusetts in the winter, where they can be found in small, shallow wetlands (during the breeding season they range across the northern portions of North America). Ring-necked ducks are a species of diving duck. This means that they dive underwater to feed on mollusks, invertebrates, and submerged aquatic vegetation, rather than tipping up as “dabbling” ducks do. Unlike penguins, which use their wings for propulsion and steering, ring-necked ducks swim using only their feet for propulsion.