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 · Oct
Share of all bird records in Dorset in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 29, most common first
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Jan
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaPassage migrantRare51–58 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorRare140–165 cmRegularly Jul–May
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisResidentRare58–70 cmRegularly Apr–Jan
Mandarin DuckAix galericulataResidentRare41–49 cmRegularly Feb–Aug
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataScarceRare66–84 cm
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