Ducks, Geese & Swans in British Columbia
Our list for British Columbia has 30 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 10 residents, 1 summer visitor, 18 winter visitors and 1 passage migrant
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in British Columbia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 30, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Aug–May
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorCommon48–60 cmRecorded all year
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorCommon59–76 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorCommon69–84 cmRegularly Sep–May
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorCommon53–76 cmRegularly Sep–May
Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanopteraSummer visitorUncommon36–43 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisResidentUncommon35–43 cmRecorded all year
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Sep–May
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorUncommon55–66 cmRegularly Oct–May
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Ruddy Duck 35–43 cm
- Cinnamon Teal 36–43 cm
- Tufted Duck 40–47 cm
- Hooded Merganser 40–49 cm
- Mandarin Duck 41–49 cm
- Goldeneye 40–51 cm
- Eurasian Wigeon 42–51 cm
- Northern Shoveler 44–51 cm
- Greater Scaup 39–56 cm
- Long-tailed Duck 37–60 cm
- Wood Duck 47–54 cm
- Gadwall 46–56 cm
- Surf Scoter 48–60 cm
- Red-breasted Merganser 52–58 cm
- King Eider 46–64 cm
- American Black Duck 54–59 cm
- Mallard 50–65 cm
- Brent Goose 55–66 cm
- Ross's Goose 57–64 cm
- Common Merganser 58–68 cm
- Cackling Goose 53–76 cm
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Greater White-fronted Goose 64–81 cm
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 cm
- Snow Goose 69–84 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Tundra Swan 120–150 cm
- Trumpeter Swan 139–157 cm
- Mute Swan 140–160 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made