Common Pochard

Aythya ferina

A very rare spring migrant that is encountered on average every few years, though this species has a pattern of showing up for several years in a row and then not being seen again for an extended period of time. The best time to see this species is mid-May, with most records from May 10th-25th during the spring though there are occasional records from the first part of June. Many spring records are for an extended period of time and are of small groups with multiple individuals accounting for approximately a third of all records. There is a single fall record from mid-October, which falls in line with other records of similar species during the fall. This species is likely to be found more commonly in the fall with extended coverage later into the season.

Photo by Sulli Gibson
Photo by Doug Gochfeld
Photo by Nat Drumheller