South · Atlantic Flyway
Ducks in Florida
Ducks in Florida come down to 35 species with regular eBird records, led by the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. Together they account for 1,081,671 of the 32 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 3.4% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Muscovy Duck, Mallard, Wood Duck, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Black Scoter, Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Surf Scoter, Cinnamon Teal, Long-tailed Duck, American Black Duck, White-winged Scoter, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Eider, White-cheeked Pintail, King Eider, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck and Ringed Teal. 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 Florida: 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. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) — 161,576 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to December and peaking in July.
2. Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) — 158,062 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
3. Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) — 126,393 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from September to April and peaking in January.
4. Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) — 106,631 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
5. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) — 79,926 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
6. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) — 70,286 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
7. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) — 53,099 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
8. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) — 48,206 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to February and peaking in December.
9. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) — 43,592 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to February and peaking in December.
10. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) — 37,211 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in December.
11. Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) — 32,405 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
12. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) — 25,738 records, 0.08% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
The remaining 23 species — Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Black Scoter, Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Surf Scoter, Cinnamon Teal, Long-tailed Duck, American Black Duck, White-winged Scoter, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Eider, White-cheeked Pintail, King Eider, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck and Ringed Teal — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see ducks in Florida
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, ducks are most prominent in December, January and February and least in October and September. 6 of the 35 species are year-round — Mottled Duck, Muscovy Duck, Mallard, Wood Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck and Ruddy Shelduck — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck arrives around April and is mostly gone after December (peak July).
Winter visitors. Blue-winged Teal arrives around September and leaves after April (peak January); Lesser Scaup arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); Ring-necked Duck arrives around November and leaves after February (peak December); Hooded Merganser arrives around November and leaves after February (peak December); Red-breasted Merganser arrives around November and leaves after April (peak December); Northern Shoveler arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January).
Passage migrants. White-cheeked Pintail is reported mainly in January and May; King Eider is reported mainly in December; Eurasian Wigeon is reported mainly in February, November and December; Ringed Teal is reported mainly in March.
Attracting ducks to Florida 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 Florida the duck most likely to turn up is the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.
Ducks in Florida: FAQ
How many species of ducks are there in Florida?
35 species of ducks have regular eBird records in Florida (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Muscovy Duck, Mallard, Wood Duck, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Greater Scaup, Black Scoter, Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Surf Scoter, Cinnamon Teal, Long-tailed Duck, American Black Duck, White-winged Scoter, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Eider, White-cheeked Pintail, King Eider, Eurasian Wigeon, Harlequin Duck and Ringed Teal.
What is the most common duck in Florida?
The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, with 161,576 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Mottled Duck with 158,062. It is a summer visitor, present mainly from April to December and peaking in July.
When is the best time to see ducks in Florida?
December, January and February, when the combined share of Florida eBird records belonging to ducks is highest. Summer visitors such as the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck arrive around April. Winter visitors such as the Blue-winged Teal arrive around September.
More birds in Florida
Ducks in other states
Ducks in Florida: 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: Florida 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.