University researchers are on the hunt for sightings of a duck rarely seen in the Sierra Nevada.
The harlequin duck is a distinctive waterfowl more known to Alaskans and residents of the Pacific Northwest. The duck's historic range often brought wintering birds down as far as the Northern California high country.
Historically, harlequin duck visitors to California are known to nest near the remote river rapids of the Sierra Nevada.
UC Davis researchers are now trying to find out more about the California population of the harlequin duck – and they're enlisting the public's help to do so.
The research effort comes amid a dearth of knowledge about the harlequin duck in California. A 2008 paper cited by the Department of Fish and Wildlife details how the bird's historic range was from Plumas County to as far south as Mariposa County.
Actual reported sightings of the harlequin duck in the Sierra Nevada have been few and far between, however, with the paper showing a population size of just 10 as of the 2008 publishing.
While slightly more common along the Northern to Central California coast, recent sightings of the harlequin duck in those areas have nonetheless caused a fervor among bird enthusiasts.
Researchers have assembled a webpage where Sierra Nevada residents can report sightings.
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