Overview
The Harlequin Duck is a striking northern duck that endures some pretty harsh treatment due to its preferred habitat. The beautiful blue-gray ducks with chestnut patches and white markings can be found wintering on rocky and windy coasts. Their summer habitat isn’t much better, seeking out whitewater stretches of creeks and rivers. Due to their brutal habitat, Harlequin Ducks suffer more broken bones than any other bird species.
Migration
Harlequin Ducks winter throughout the northern latitudes of the northern hemisphere. They can be found along the coasts of Japan and eastern Russia, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, northeastern North America, and Greenland and Iceland. In the summer months, they simply head inland from their wintering grounds.
Where to Find Them in Jackson Hole
While sightings within Jackson Hole are very rare, a quick trip up to Yellowstone can yield consistently reliable results in the summer. A small flock of Harlequin Ducks routinely visits the LeHardy Rapids in southeastern Yellowstone National Park, one of the most southern points in the world they visit.