How to identify it
15-17 in; small duck with a short bill. [1]
Male: slaty blue with an intricate white pattern and reddish sides. [1]
Female: dark brown with two or three white face spots; smaller and much shorter-billed than scoters. [1]
Call a mouse-like squeak and low whistles. [1]
Compared with the bufflehead (female): Audubon lists female bufflehead and female scaup as comparison species; female harlequin is dark brown with two or three white face spots. [1]
Compared with the scoters (female): Female harlequin looks smaller than a scoter with a much shorter bill. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Bufflehead · Bucephala albeola
- Long-tailed duck · Clangula hyemalis
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Harlequin duck from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Nests along shallow, fast-moving rivers and streams, often in forested country, generally not on glacier-fed streams. [1]
Winters on exposed rocky ocean coasts where surf pounds, seldom on sheltered bays. [1]
How it behaves
Swims and dives against the current of rushing rivers and climbs on slippery rocks. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Canada (federal migratory birds) — migratory bird hunting · Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022 (SOR/2022-105), Schedule Parts 7-13 (MB, SK, AB, BC, NT, YT, NU)
- Alaska — migratory bird hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations
- Idaho — migratory bird hunting · Idaho Migratory Game Bird 2026-2027 Seasons & Rules
- Illinois — migratory bird hunting · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Minnesota — migratory bird hunting · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Montana — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, Mourning Doves & Snipe Regulations
- Oregon — migratory bird hunting · 2026-27 Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations (official ODFW booklet)
- Washington — migratory bird hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- Wyoming — migratory bird hunting · WGFC Ch. 14 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons and Light Goose Conservation Order (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Breeds in Alaska, western Canada and the northern Rockies and in eastern Canada; winters along the Pacific coast and the North Atlantic coast from eastern Canada to New England and the Mid-Atlantic.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALHarlequin Duck | Audubon Field Guide
National Audubon Society · reviewed 2026-09-30
National Audubon Society