Ducks, Geese & Swans in Donegal
Our list for Donegal has 23 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 2 summer visitors, 8 winter visitors, 6 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Donegal in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly May–Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly May–Mar
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisWinter visitorCommon58–70 cmRegularly Nov–May
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorCommon58–67 cmRegularly Mar–Aug
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRegularly Jun–Nov
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantCommon64–81 cmRegularly Mar
EiderSomateria mollissimaSummer visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Black SwanCygnus atratusPassage migrantCommon110–142 cmRegularly Feb
PochardAythya ferinaPassage migrantCommon42–49 cmRegularly Aug–Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisPassage migrantUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantUncommon60–75 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
GadwallMareca streperaScarceUncommon46–56 cm
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataPassage migrantUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov
Greater ScaupAythya marilaScarceUncommon39–56 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Tufted Duck 40–47 cm
- Goldeneye 40–51 cm
- Pochard 42–49 cm
- Eurasian Wigeon 42–51 cm
- Northern Shoveler 44–51 cm
- Greater Scaup 39–56 cm
- Common Scoter 43–54 cm
- Long-tailed Duck 37–60 cm
- Gadwall 46–56 cm
- Red-breasted Merganser 52–58 cm
- Mallard 50–65 cm
- Brent Goose 55–66 cm
- Eider 50–71 cm
- Common Shelduck 58–67 cm
- Barnacle Goose 58–70 cm
- Pink-footed Goose 60–75 cm
- Greater White-fronted Goose 64–81 cm
- Greylag Goose 75–90 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Black Swan 110–142 cm
- Mute Swan 140–160 cm
- Whooper Swan 140–165 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