Hi All,

Glen makes a very good point here. Here is a link I came across which deals 
with bill color, head shape and variation regarding the two field marks. As 
I recall, Matt Hafner found a female Common Goldeneye in Worchester County a 
couple years ago with a yellow bill. I hope to be able to get away at some 
point this weekend to look for the bird. Hopefully someone can get a photo.

http://books.google.com/books?id=TMtB8CG767EC&pg=RA1-PA99&lpg=RA1-PA99&dq=goldeneye+bill+variation&source=web&ots=Y-EylQk8vG&sig=FKNOD4uTiXOTEgTbhMMU1F-e6dE


Good Birding,

Hans




Hans Holbrook

Baltimore, MD




>From: "Lovelace Glen (DelDOT)" <>
>Reply-To: "Lovelace Glen (DelDOT)" <>
>To: 
>Subject: [MDOSPREY] Caution with female goldeneyes
>Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 08:50:58 -0500
>
>Hello all,
>	This note is just a word of caution about the identification of female 
>goldeneyes.  I have not seen the Hooper's Island bird, so I am not passing 
>any judgment on it or the reports about it.  However, I believe it is more 
>complicated than simply the amount of yellow in the bill.  There was a bird 
>at Cedar Creek Millpond near Milford, DE that caused a stir a few years 
>ago.  It had more yellow in the bill that the average Common, leading to 
>speculation of a Barrow's.  But the supporting details did not add up and 
>the consensus became an unusual female Common.  There is a photo, albeit 
>not perfectly clear, on the DOS website at the following link: 
>http://www.dosbirds.org/photogallery/index.html then choose Common 
>Goldeneye.
>
>Good Birding,
>Glen Lovelace III
>Seaford, DE

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