Neil Calbrade

Common Goldeneye breeds on freshwater lakes and rivers, often in wooded areas. Outside the breeding season it occurs mostly in marine habitats, but also inland waterbodies. Its breeding range is mainly in the coniferous forest zone of Eurasia and North America. In Europe it is patchily distributed Sof the taiga (Scotland, locally in C & E Europe; Eadie et al. 2020). An intra-European migrant, it winters throughout Europe, with concentrations in the Baltic and N Seas, with decreasing numbers Sto the Mediterranean/Black Sea region.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendDecreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		770000-990000,870000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Common Goldeneye

General movement is NE–SW, with most birds migrating short to intermediate distances. Birds breeding in Fennoscandia and NW Russia travel primarily SW to the Baltic and N Seas, and W Europe; to a lesser extent they take SW and S routes to C Europe and the Mediterranean/Black Sea region. Birds breeding in W Siberia undertake SW & S movements to overwinter in the Black and Caspian Sea regions (Veen et al. 2005). C European breeding population (Germany, Czech Republic) overwinters N-NW (Baltic/ North Seas), W (Atlantic Coast of W Europe) and SW (W Mediterranean region) from their breeding grounds, or disperse locally.

In Europe (data from Baltic Sea) adult males generally move shorter distances than females and immatures (except perhaps in response to severe winter weather) (Jacubas 2003).

Recoveries by Condition for Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye is a game species in a number of European countries and before 1961 ~54% of all recoveries were of dead birds as a result of shooting/hunting. The percentage reported dead fell during the next two 30-year periods (28 and 11% respectively). Inversely, the percentage of recaptures increased from 9.5% before 1961 to 75% after 1991. Most encounters are in N Europe (90%). Drowning in fishing nets can be an important cause of mortality – 8% pre-1961, 6% 1961-1990, and 2.5% of all recoveries after 1991 (15% of all dead birds in Finland; Saurola et al. 2013).

About half of all encounters (ca. 51%) are obtained in May-Jun – the species readily occupies nestboxes. Nestbox recoveries share increased fourfold from the pre-1960 period (1%) to after 1991 (4.6%).

Annual Movements for Common Goldeneye

Common Goldeneye undergo a flightless moult taking about a month in late summer and autumn, with males moulting earlier than females. Short migratory movements to moulting sites lead to local concentrations (Baltic Sea, White Sea; Eadie et al. 2020). True autumn migration starts in Aug, peaks in Nov and most wintering sites are occupied by Dec. Birds originating from Fennoscandia and NW Russia are encountered Aug-Mar (mostly Nov-Feb) in N/Baltic Sea region and W Europe, while those breeding in E Europe are in SE Europe Sep-Apr. Return movements start Feb-Mar and most have left by the end of Mar. Birds start to arrive on their breeding sites at the end of Mar, although most return in Apr, or even May in the extreme N of the range.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Goldeneye

Birds from the breeding population in Fennoscandia and NW Russia are encountered in late summer, autumn and winter (even early spring) primarily in the region of Baltic and N Seas, but also at other coastal sites elsewhere in W Europe, including the British Isles. A few are also encountered further south in C & S Europe in winter, reaching the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Birds arrive on the breeding sites in N Europe in mid- to late spring. Birds breeding in E Europe are encountered in SE Europe and S Russia from early autumn to mid-spring, mostly in late autumn and winter. C European breeding birds are encountered from early autumn to early spring at a number of sites in N, W & SW Europe. Scottish breeders winter in Ireland.

Boris Nikolov

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Eadie, J. M., M. L. Mallory, and H. G. Lumsden 2020 . Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), version 1.0. In Birds of the World Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.comgol.01) Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
Jakubas, D. 2003 . Factors affecting different spatial distribution of wintering Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula and Goldeneye Bucephala clangula in the western part of the Gulf of Gdańsk (Poland). Ornis Svecica 13 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.comshe.01) : 75–84
Saurola, P. Valkama, J., Velmala, W. 2013 . The Finnish Bird Ringing Atlas Vol. I. Finnish Museum of Natural History and Ministry of Environment, Helsinki
Veen, J., Yurlov, A.K., S.N. Delany, Mihantiev, A.I., Selivanova, M.A., Boere, G.C. 2005 . An atlas of movements of Southwest Siberian waterbirds. Wetlands International, Wageningen, The Netherlands

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