Ring-necked Ducks are regular winter visitors to Arizona’s lakes, marshes, and reservoirs, typically arriving in October and departing by late March or early April. Males are striking in flight and on the water, with glossy black heads, white eye rings, and distinctive rust-colored neck bands barely visible at close range; females are more subdued, with brown bodies, pale eye rings, and a faint neck ring. Both sexes dive for seeds, aquatic plants, and invertebrates, often congregating in mixed flocks with other diving ducks such as Lesser Scaup and Canvasbacks. They favor deeper, clear water but will use shallow margins during migration. Peak numbers in Arizona often exceed several thousand birds, especially on the lower Salt and Verde river reservoirs. Although they rarely attempt to breed in the state, occasional spring records hint at exploratory nesting efforts in secluded marshes.
