Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusBucephala (Goldeneyes and Bufflehead)
- SpeciesBucephala islandica (Barrow's Goldeneye)
About the Barrow's Goldeneye
Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. This bird was named after Sir John Barrow. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek boukephalos, "bullheaded", from bous, "bull" and kephale, "head", a reference to the bulbous head shape of the bufflehead. The species name islandica means Iceland.
Barrow's goldeneye was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the ducks, geese and swans in the genus Anas and coined the binomial name Anas islandica. Gmelin based his description on the "Hravn Oend" that had been briefly described in 1776 by Danish naturalist Otto Friedrich Müller. Barrow's goldeneye is now placed with the common goldeneye and the bufflehead in the genus Bucephala that was introduced in 1858 by American naturalist Spencer Baird. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek boukephalos, meaning "bullheaded", from bous "bull", and kephale, "head". The specific epithet islandica is for Iceland. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
Adults... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Barrow's Goldeneye in Vatnajokull National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Vatnajokull National Park
Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
Greylag Goose
Anser anser
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Common Eider
Somateria mollissima
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalis
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
Common Teal
Anas crecca
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 2 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 11 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Barrow's Goldeneye in Vatnajokull National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Barrow's Goldeneye sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 1,408 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Barrow's Goldeneye in Vatnajokull National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Barrow's Goldeneye in Vatnajokull National Park in our monthly data.