Ducks, Geese & Swans in Northern Ireland
Our list for Northern Ireland has 25 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 10 residents, 1 summer visitor, 10 winter visitors and 4 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Northern Ireland in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 25, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Jul–May
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantUncommon60–75 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRecorded all year
PochardAythya ferinaResidentUncommon42–49 cmRecorded all year
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisSummer visitorUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Feb–Nov
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentUncommon44–51 cmRecorded all year
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly Jan–Oct
SmewMergellus albellusPassage migrantUncommon38–44 cmRegularly Feb
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Smew 38–44 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
- Eider 50–71 cm
- Brent Goose 55–66 cm
- Common Shelduck 58–67 cm
- Common Merganser 58–68 cm
- Barnacle Goose 58–70 cm
- Pink-footed Goose 60–75 cm
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Greater White-fronted Goose 64–81 cm
- Greylag Goose 75–90 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 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