Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae (Anàtids)
- GenusBucephala (Goldeneyes and Bufflehead)
- SpeciesBucephala clangula (Common Goldeneye)
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. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Goldeneye sighting in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, based on 82 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Barrow's Goldeneye
Bucephala islandica
American Black Duck
Anas rubripes
Common Eider
Somateria mollissima
American White-winged Scoter
Melanitta deglandi
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillata
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalis
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Black Scoter
Melanitta americana
Common Merganser
Mergus merganser
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Goldeneye in Cape Breton Highlands National Park?
About 14% of wildlife watchers report a Common Goldeneye sighting in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, based on 82 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Goldeneye in Cape Breton Highlands National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Common Goldeneye in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in our monthly data.