Ducks, Geese & Swans in Dorset
Our list for Dorset has 29 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 11 residents, 1 summer visitor, 12 winter visitors, 4 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Dorset in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 29, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Jul–May
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentUncommon75–90 cmRecorded all year
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
PochardAythya ferinaWinter visitorUncommon42–49 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentUncommon63–73 cmRecorded all year
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year
EiderSomateria mollissimaWinter visitorUncommon50–71 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisPassage migrantUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorUncommon58–68 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Sep
Black SwanCygnus atratusSummer visitorUncommon110–142 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Garganey 37–41 cm
- Tufted Duck 40–47 cm
- Mandarin Duck 41–49 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
- Velvet Scoter 51–58 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
- Common Merganser 58–68 cm
- Barnacle Goose 58–70 cm
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Egyptian Goose 63–73 cm
- Greater White-fronted Goose 64–81 cm
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 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