The Harlequin is a small sea duck found on both the west and east coasts of Canada. The duck was named for the multi-coloured plumage sported by its males. The character Arlechinno always wore a multi-coloured patchwork costume. The Harlequin is a small duck - about half the size of a Mallard .
Male harlequins are mostly dark blue-grey with distinctive brown and white markings.
They have a black stripe on their heads with brown on either side, and white patches around their ears and at the base of their beaks. The females and young birds are much plainer than the males, which helps them hide from predators. They are usually grey-brown with a white patch below each eye, and a prominent white ear patch. Their bellies are white with brown speckles. In North America there are two clusters of Harlequin Ducks - one along the west coast and one on the east.