Distribution

Following adapted from Dawson (1923), Godfrey (1966), and Palmer (1976b) with additional information as cited.

Breeding Range

Figure 1 . Within the boreal forest tree line across North America from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia (Cape Breton I.), and New Brunswick (Erskine 1992), west to Alaska; and south within the Acadian and Great Lakes forest regions, aspen parklands, and montaine forest, wherever trees are large enough to provide nesting cavities. Breeds south to s. Maine (Adamus 1987), nw. Vermont (Laughlin and Kibbe 1985), Adirondack Mtns. of ne. New York (Andrle and Carroll 1988), s.-central Ontario (Cadman et al. 1987), northernmost Michigan (Brewer et al. 1991), ne. Minnesota (Janssen 1987), Turtle Mtns. of n.-central N. Dakota (Stewart 1975), central and sw. Alberta (Semenchuk 1992), nw. and ne. Montana (Bergeron et al. 1992), British Columbia east of Coast Range (Campbell et al. 1990), Kodiak I., and s. Alaska. Principal breeding areas are Labrador through central Ontario to British Columbia, north to Great Slave Lake (see Demography and Populations: population status).

Winter Range

Figure 1 . Winters in suitable habitat from coastal Newfoundland, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Maritime Provinces, s. Ontario, e. Minnesota, central and w. North Dakota, s. Alberta, s. and w. British Columbia, and coastal Alaska (including Aleutian I.) south virtually throughout North America to coastal waters of central Baja California (Howell and Webb 1995), central Arizona, New Mexico south through interior Mexico to Durango (Howell and Webb 1995), n. and e. Texas, and from coastal Texas south to Tamaulipas, Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and in coastal waters to central Florida. Rare in inland waters of Georgia and N. and S. Carolina. A few birds regularly winter in Bermuda (Amos 1991). Highest concentrations are found in coastal bays from n. New England south to Chesapeake Bay and on the coasts of se. Alaska and British Columbia.

Remains on inland fresh water as far north as water is open. Abundant on St. Lawrence River, in Great Lakes, and in upper Mississippi River system, generally becoming scarcer in southern states.

Breeding Range

Scandinavia to Kamchatka mainly in coniferous forest zone, but ranging from wooded tundra and arctic-alpine belts south to wooded steppe. Local populations in Scotland through n. Europe (Cramp et al. 1977).

Winter Range

Coasts of Scandinavia and n. Europe, and parts of ne. Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian seas. In the Far East, on the coasts of Kurile I., Kamchatka, and islands of Japan to n. China. Inland on large lakes and rivers that remain ice-free (Cramp 1977).

Probable decline in numbers in North America in early 1900s. Forbush (1912) records a decline in winter in New England and notes that Common Goldeneyes formerly bred abundantly in the Maine woods. Riparian logging was probably responsible for declines there and also in the Great Lakes region. Cottage development with associated disturbance has reduced productivity and breeding densities at the southern fringes of the species’ range (Cadman et al. 1987). In Russia, human settlement and felling of old, hollow trees have forced nesting ducks from southern parts of the breeding grounds, but this species’ range has expanded in n. Eurasia (Dement’ev and Gladkov 1967).

In North America, known from prehistoric sites on Kodiak and Unalaska islands and Cape Prince of Wales, AK (Brodkorb 1964). In Eurasia, recorded from a prehistoric site at Glastonbury, England, and as fossils from Grotte de Gumaldi, Monaco; Gizotta Romanelli, Italy; and Slangemolla, Sweden; Scandinavia; and Binagada in Azerbaijan (Brodkorb 1964, Kohl 1974, Campbell 1980, Rea and Hargrave 1984).

The genus Bucephala is recorded in North America from the Mio-Pliocene (Hemphillian North American Land Mammal Age [NALMA], 5.0 Megannum [Ma]) as the species B. ossivalis, a duck slightly smaller than Common Goldeneye (Brodkorb 1955, Steadman 1984). There is a Pleistocene (Irvingtonian NALMA, 1.8–0.4 Ma) species, B. fossilis, from Vallecito Creek, CA (Howard 1963), that is also smaller than Common Goldeneye.