Ring-necked Duck

I mentioned in a prior post that I had not done much winter birding in many years.  I made up for it this year with several visits to Belle Isle - even though I saw essentially the same species each time.  This year's cold weather made for lots of ice on our waterways and, once again, we had large congregations of waterfowl on the river.   Some species, like Ring-necked Duck (Althya collaris), I had not seen in several years - as in, when you don't go birding, you don't see birds. 

At first there were five, three males and two females.  I approached carefully and not too closely, but one of the males became jittery and flew off.  This left me with two pairs who were wary but still stuck around.

The long neck and head of the male Ring-neck Duck reveal a bouffant appearance when viewed from behind.  The bird on the left displays this amusingly.  This is suggested in the lateral view with the arrow pointing to that slight head feather indentation of the bird on the right.  I imagine that this serves the similar function as the male Hooded Merganser's display when around female birds.   

A very handsome duck if ever there was one.

Waterfowl surprise me with their unwillingness to allow a closer approach from the shore.  All January and February, no matter how carefully I approached the water, even from a distance, the flotilla would turn their backs and begin their swim away.  I like the photo above because even in rest this female keeps a watchful eye.

Female and male.

Is anyone else confused as to why this duck is named ring-necked?  I went on a search and found the probable answer in photos of birds in flight.  The male bird's bright white lateral crescent thins out and is visible as a partial white ring just above the bird's in-flight wing.  I think this could only be viewed with a good lateral image of a bird in flight.  It's the best answer I can find for the moment.