Goldeneye (duck)
| Goldeneyes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Anseriformes |
| Family: | Anatidae |
| Subfamily: | Merginae |
| Genus: | Bucephala S.F. Baird, 1858 |
| Species | |
Bucephala albeola
Bucephala clangula Bucephala islandica | |
| Synonyms | |
Charitonetta
and see text | |
Goldeneye are small tree-hole nesting northern hemisphere seaducks belonging to the genus Bucephala. Their plumage is black and white, and they eat fish, crustaceans and other marine life.
The Bufflehead was formerly separated in its own genus Charitonetta, while the goldeneyes proper were mistakenly placed in Clangula, the genus of the Long-tailed Duck which at that time was placed in Harelda.
The three living species are
- Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
- Barrow's Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
- Bufflehead Bucephala albeola
Known fossil taxa are:
- Bucephala cereti (Sajóvölgyi Middle Miocene of Mátraszõlõs, Hungary - Late Pliocene of Chilhac, France)
- Bucephala ossivalis (Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Bone Valley, USA), which was very similar to the Common Goldeneye and may even have been a paleosubspecies or direct ancestor
- Bucephala fossilis (Late Pliocene of California, USA)
- Bucephala angustipes (Early Pleistocene of C Europe)
- Bucephala sp. (Early Pleistocene of Dursunlu, Turkey: Louchart et al. 1998)
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