Bucephala clangula
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The common goldeneye or simply goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Its closest relative is the similar Barrow's goldeneye. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek boukephalos ("bullheaded", from bous, "bull" and kephale, "head"), a reference to the bulbous head shape of the bufflehead. The species name is derived from the Latin clangere ("to resound").
Common goldeneyes are aggressive and territorial ducks, and have elaborate courtship displays. The common goldeneye was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Anas clangula. Linnaeus specified the type location as Europe but in 1761 restricted this to Sweden. The common goldeneye is now one of three species placed in the genus Bucephala that was introduced in 1858 by the American naturalist Spencer Baird. The genus name is from Ancient Greek boukephalos meaning "bullheaded" or "large-headed". The specific epithet is from Latin clangere meaning "to resound".
Two subspecies are recognised: Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Helsinki | 🇫🇮 Finland | |
| 3 | Lanzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Stockholm | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 7 | Nizhny Novgorod | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 8 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Goldeneye sighting in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, based on 260 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 118th most-seen of the 197 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Common Goldeneye in Yellowstone National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Goldeneye sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
32nd of 41
Of the 41 parks where we can rate Common Goldeneye sightings, Yellowstone National Park ranks 32nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 50%), Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 30%) and Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Bucephala
The closest relatives of the Common Goldeneye that you can see in Yellowstone National Park (genus Bucephala, Goldeneyes and Bufflehead) are Barrow's Goldeneye (about 30%) and Bufflehead (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Goldeneye is recorded against all the birds logged in Yellowstone National Park (260 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
