Harlequin Duck

The Harlequin duck came about by accident, from two light-colored ducklings that hatched from pure-bred
Khaki Campbell ducks. This Heritage Breed is highly adaptable, a very productive egg layer, and forages actively on its own. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has a pair of Harlequin ducks on exhibit in the lower pond in the New England Farmyard.

Description:

The drake’s head is greenish black, shoulders are reddish chestnut frosted with white, breast is creamy with reddish chestnut, the upper back is shiny green and bronze diamond or harlequin pattern. The female is a creamy white color with some brown and rust markings, and her wings have buff, brown-green or bronze bands.

Habitat:

Farms.

Range:

This breed originated in Wales in 1949 and came to the U.S. in 1968.

Diet:

Aquatic plants and insects. The Zoo feeds ducks special bird food pellets.

Life Span:

Unknown.

Family Life:

Females lay 240 -330 white-shelled eggs per year.

Status:

Critical. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy records fewer than 200 annual registrations in the U.S. and estimates fewer than 2,000 globally.