Ducks, Geese & Swans in Ulster
Our list for Ulster has 23 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 2 summer visitors, 10 winter visitors and 6 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Ulster in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Jul–May
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–May
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
PochardAythya ferinaPassage migrantCommon42–49 cmRegularly Aug–Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisWinter visitorCommon58–70 cmRegularly Nov–May
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantCommon64–81 cmRegularly Mar
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorCommon58–67 cmRegularly Mar–Aug
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantCommon39–56 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Feb
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
EiderSomateria mollissimaSummer visitorUncommon50–71 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
Black SwanCygnus atratusPassage migrantUncommon110–142 cmRegularly Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataPassage migrantUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov–May
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantUncommon60–75 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
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
- Greater Scaup 39–56 cm
- Northern Shoveler 44–51 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