West · Pacific Flyway
Ducks in California
Ducks in California come down to 32 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mallard. Together they account for 3,782,089 of the 62 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 6.1% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Mallard, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Surf Scoter, Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Canvasback, Redhead, Muscovy Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, White-winged Scoter, Barrow's Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Black Scoter, Mandarin Duck, Harlequin Duck, Tufted Duck, King Eider and Mexican Duck. Ducks divide into dabblers, which tip up in shallow water, and divers, which disappear underwater for their food. Most species breed far to the north and are winter visitors across much of the country, so the best duck-watching is usually from late fall through early spring.
Ducks in California: every species, most-reported first
Every duck with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) — 924,465 records, 1.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) — 326,146 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to May and peaking in January.
3. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) — 305,023 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
4. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) — 256,497 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in January.
5. American Wigeon (Mareca americana) — 254,333 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to March and peaking in January.
6. Gadwall (Mareca strepera) — 233,602 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
7. Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) — 180,037 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in January.
8. Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera) — 155,589 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
9. Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) — 149,625 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
10. Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) — 123,935 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to March and peaking in January.
11. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) — 113,247 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in January.
12. Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) — 104,835 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
The remaining 20 species — Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Canvasback, Redhead, Muscovy Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, White-winged Scoter, Barrow's Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Black Scoter, Mandarin Duck, Harlequin Duck, Tufted Duck, King Eider and Mexican Duck — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see ducks in California
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, ducks are most prominent in January, February and December and least in July and June. 7 of the 32 species are year-round — Mallard, Gadwall, Cinnamon Teal, Surf Scoter, Common Merganser and Wood Duck and 1 more — so there is no month without them.
Winter visitors. Ruddy Duck arrives around October and leaves after May (peak January); Bufflehead arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); Northern Shoveler arrives around September and leaves after April (peak January); American Wigeon arrives around October and leaves after March (peak January); Green-winged Teal arrives around September and leaves after April (peak January); Northern Pintail arrives around September and leaves after March (peak January).
Passage migrants. King Eider is reported mainly in December; Mexican Duck is reported mainly in January, February and November.
Attracting ducks to California backyards
Unless you have a pond, ducks are birds to go and see rather than attract. Local reservoirs, sewage ponds, and coastal inlets in winter are where the variety is.
In California the duck most likely to turn up is the Mallard, a year-round resident, followed by the Gadwall.
Ducks in California: FAQ
How many species of ducks are there in California?
32 species of ducks have regular eBird records in California (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mallard, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Surf Scoter, Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck, Common Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Greater Scaup, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Canvasback, Redhead, Muscovy Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, White-winged Scoter, Barrow's Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Black Scoter, Mandarin Duck, Harlequin Duck, Tufted Duck, King Eider and Mexican Duck.
What is the most common duck in California?
The Mallard, with 924,465 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Ruddy Duck with 326,146. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see ducks in California?
January, February and December, when the combined share of California eBird records belonging to ducks is highest. Winter visitors such as the Ruddy Duck arrive around October.
More birds in California
Ducks in other states
Ducks in California: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: California records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Anatidae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.