Why is Common the first name of so many beautiful birds?! Common Goldeneye, Common Grackle, Common Loon, Common Murre, Common Merganser, Common Kestrel… the list is endless and annoying. Perhaps in some regions the bird in question is common however, when seen in other regions it may not be.

While here visiting our shores, this striking male Common Goldeneye has been spending his days deep diving for  vegetation and, for the most part, keeping to himself and avoiding the larger Mallards. I am rather glad to see he is not very social. Hopefully l he won’t catch the avian flu.

At around nine seconds you can see the Common Goldeneye with a male Hooded Merganser in the foreground and a female Lesser Scaup in the background.