WhenToBird

Aythya collaris · Anatidae

When Do Ring-necked Ducks Arrive in Massachusetts?

Adult male Ring-necked Duck
Photo: Marcel_Pepin, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

Ring-necked Ducks are winter birds in Massachusetts: the first arrive in early October, they are common by mid October, peak in mid March (12% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.

When to look

First arrivalsOct 1-7early October
Common byOct 15-21mid October
PeakMar 15-21mid March
Most gone byApr 15-21mid April

Best: mid March. First arrivals early October; most are gone by mid April. Peak: on about 12% of Massachusetts checklists.

  1. Jancommon
  2. Febcommon
  3. Marpeak season
  4. Aprpeak season
  5. Mayrare
  6. Junnot usually seen
  7. Julnot usually seen
  8. Augnot usually seen
  9. Seprare
  10. Octuncommon
  11. Novcommon
  12. Deccommon

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

0%5%10%15%Jan 1-7: 5.4% of 43252 checklistsJan 8-14: 5.2% of 30096 checklistsJan 15-21: 4.6% of 28760 checklistsJan 22-31: 3.9% of 38135 checklistsFeb 1-7: 3.7% of 26442 checklistsFeb 8-14: 3.4% of 29034 checklistsFeb 15-21: 3.2% of 37383 checklistsFeb 22-28: 6.3% of 29977 checklistsMar 1-7: 8.0% of 29175 checklistsMar 8-14: 11% of 32399 checklistsMar 15-21: 12% of 34444 checklistsMar 22-31: 12% of 49126 checklistsApr 1-7: 10% of 36456 checklistsApr 8-14: 7.4% of 40908 checklistsApr 15-21: 4.1% of 42078 checklistsApr 22-30: 2.1% of 56465 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.8% of 56994 checklistsMay 8-14: 0.2% of 64079 checklistsMay 15-21: 0.1% of 52020 checklistsMay 22-31: 0.1% of 55402 checklistsJun 1-7: 0.1% of 30682 checklistsJun 8-14: 0.1% of 27557 checklistsJun 15-21: 0.1% of 26163 checklistsJun 22-30: 0.1% of 29576 checklistsJul 1-7: 0.1% of 23931 checklistsJul 8-14: 0.1% of 22389 checklistsJul 15-21: 0.1% of 22365 checklistsJul 22-31: 0.1% of 32631 checklistsAug 1-7: 0.1% of 25133 checklistsAug 8-14: 0.1% of 24610 checklistsAug 15-21: 0.1% of 25350 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.1% of 37198 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.2% of 27402 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.2% of 27700 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.4% of 28398 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.4% of 34646 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.0% of 28620 checklistsOct 8-14: 1.7% of 30144 checklistsOct 15-21: 2.6% of 28893 checklistsOct 22-31: 3.9% of 38869 checklistsNov 1-7: 5.9% of 29782 checklistsNov 8-14: 5.6% of 27582 checklistsNov 15-21: 5.5% of 26642 checklistsNov 22-30: 4.9% of 34390 checklistsDec 1-7: 5.4% of 25164 checklistsDec 8-14: 5.3% of 24892 checklistsDec 15-21: 3.9% of 29022 checklistsDec 22-31: 4.1% of 44323 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Massachusetts that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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Where in Massachusetts

Best counties

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Hampden CountyBest late March · 1130 checklists that week, 35,410 in all30%
  2. Franklin CountyBest mid March · 1144 checklists that week, 41,382 in all24%
  3. Worcester CountyBest late March · 4093 checklists that week, 128,594 in all17%
  4. Berkshire CountyBest late March · 3506 checklists that week, 92,890 in all16%
  5. Middlesex CountyBest mid March · 7000 checklists that week, 307,511 in all15%
  6. Plymouth CountyBest mid March · 2001 checklists that week, 89,282 in all13%

Best spots

Share of checklists at the peak
  1. Whiting Street ReservoirHampden County, best the second week of November · 23 checklists that week, 265 in all95%
  2. Kenoza LakeEssex County, best the second week of November · 24 checklists that week, 708 in all92%
  3. Fresh PondMiddlesex County, best early November · 120 checklists that week, 4,938 in all92%
  4. Muddy PondWorcester County, best late March · 62 checklists that week, 1,490 in all91%

Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.

Best time of day

In Massachusetts, the Ring-necked Duck is most often listed on checklists started between 2 and 4 pm (4.3% of those checklists).

0%2%4%6%12 am: too few checklists (630) to judge1 am: too few checklists (657) to judge2 am: too few checklists (645) to judge3 am: too few checklists (850) to judge4 am: too few checklists (3787) to judge5 am: too few checklists (29743) to judge6 am: 1.7% of 108601 checklists7 am: 2.6% of 186104 checklists8 am: 3.1% of 185905 checklists9 am: 3.5% of 166049 checklists10 am: 3.9% of 150508 checklists11 am: 3.9% of 131024 checklists12 pm: 3.9% of 116804 checklists1 pm: 4.2% of 112055 checklists2 pm: 4.4% of 110246 checklists3 pm: 4.2% of 104376 checklists4 pm: 3.7% of 83736 checklists5 pm: 2.7% of 63723 checklists6 pm: 1.8% of 41435 checklists7 pm: too few checklists (21041) to judge8 pm: too few checklists (5240) to judge9 pm: too few checklists (1722) to judge10 pm: too few checklists (1094) to judge11 pm: too few checklists (704) to judge12a3a6a9a12p3p6p9p
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.
Week-by-week table
MonthDays 1-78-1415-2122-end
January5.4%5.2%4.6%3.9%
February3.7%3.4%3.2%6.3%
March8.0%11%12%12%
April10%7.4%4.1%2.1%
May0.8%0.2%0.1%0.1%
June0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
July0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
August0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%
September0.2%0.2%0.4%0.4%
October1.0%1.7%2.6%3.9%
November5.9%5.6%5.5%4.9%
December5.4%5.3%3.9%4.1%

Neighboring states

  • Rhode Island: arrives the second week of October, 1 week later than Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire: arrives the second week of February, 17 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • Connecticut: arrives mid October, 2 weeks later than Massachusetts
  • Vermont: arrives mid February, 18 weeks later than Massachusetts

Common questions

When do Ring-necked Ducks arrive in Massachusetts?
Ring-necked Ducks are winter birds in Massachusetts: the first arrive in early October, they are common by mid October, peak in mid March (12% of checklists), and most are gone by mid April.
When do Ring-necked Ducks leave Massachusetts?
Most Ring-necked Ducks have left Massachusetts by mid April, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until late April.
When is the best time to see a Ring-necked Duck in Massachusetts?
The Ring-necked Duck is reported most often in mid March, on about 12% of Massachusetts checklists.
Where in Massachusetts are Ring-necked Ducks seen most often?
By county, Hampden County, Franklin County, and Worcester County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Ring-necked Duck (counties with at least 200 checklists).