Midwest · Mississippi Flyway
Ducks in Michigan
Ducks in Michigan come down to 32 species with regular eBird records, led by the Mallard. Together they account for 1,332,667 of the 20 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 6.8% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Mallard, Wood Duck, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Red-breasted Merganser, Redhead, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, American Black Duck, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Canvasback, Northern Pintail, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, King Eider, Barrow's Goldeneye, Muscovy Duck and Ruddy Shelduck. 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 Michigan: 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) — 421,430 records, 2.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
2. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) — 140,820 records, 0.7% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from March to November and peaking in April.
3. Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) — 85,238 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in March.
4. Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) — 82,410 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in March.
5. Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) — 57,746 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to April and peaking in December.
6. Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) — 57,451 records, 0.3% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from November to March and peaking in January.
7. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) — 47,801 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in February, March, April and November with a peak in March.
8. Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) — 47,125 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, May, August and September with a peak in April.
9. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) — 45,621 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in December.
10. Redhead (Aythya americana) — 41,628 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to March and peaking in February.
11. Gadwall (Mareca strepera) — 38,835 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in March.
12. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) — 36,885 records, 0.2% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to April and peaking in March.
The remaining 20 species — Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, American Black Duck, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Canvasback, Northern Pintail, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, King Eider, Barrow's Goldeneye, Muscovy Duck and Ruddy Shelduck — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see ducks in Michigan
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, ducks are most prominent in March, November and December and least in June and July. 1 of the 32 species is year-round — Mallard — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Wood Duck arrives around March and is mostly gone after November (peak April); Black-bellied Whistling-Duck arrives around January and is mostly gone after July (peak January).
Winter visitors. Bufflehead arrives around November and leaves after April (peak March); Common Merganser arrives around November and leaves after April (peak March); Hooded Merganser arrives around November and leaves after April (peak December); Common Goldeneye arrives around November and leaves after March (peak January); Red-breasted Merganser arrives around October and leaves after April (peak December); Redhead arrives around October and leaves after March (peak February).
Passage migrants. Ring-necked Duck is reported mainly in February, March, April and November; Blue-winged Teal is reported mainly in April, May, August and September; Northern Shoveler is reported mainly in March, April, October and November; Green-winged Teal is reported mainly in March, April, August and September; Ruddy Duck is reported mainly in March, April, October and November; American Wigeon is reported mainly in March, April, October and November.
Attracting ducks to Michigan 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 Michigan the duck most likely to turn up is the Mallard.
Ducks in Michigan: FAQ
How many species of ducks are there in Michigan?
32 species of ducks have regular eBird records in Michigan (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Mallard, Wood Duck, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Red-breasted Merganser, Redhead, Gadwall, Lesser Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, American Black Duck, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Canvasback, Northern Pintail, White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, Black Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, King Eider, Barrow's Goldeneye, Muscovy Duck and Ruddy Shelduck.
What is the most common duck in Michigan?
The Mallard, with 421,430 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Wood Duck with 140,820. It is a year-round resident, reported in every month.
When is the best time to see ducks in Michigan?
March, November and December, when the combined share of Michigan eBird records belonging to ducks is highest. Summer visitors such as the Wood Duck arrive around March. Winter visitors such as the Bufflehead arrive around November.
More birds in Michigan
Ducks in other states
Ducks in Michigan: 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: Michigan 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.