Ducks, Geese & Swans in Aberdeenshire
Our list for Aberdeenshire has 28 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 11 residents, 2 summer visitors, 8 winter visitors and 7 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Aberdeenshire in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 28, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–May
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRecorded all year
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentUncommon40–47 cmRecorded all year
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly May–Jan
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
GadwallMareca streperaSummer visitorUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Oct–May
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly May
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Apr–Feb
King EiderSomateria spectabilisPassage migrantUncommon46–64 cmRegularly Jun
PochardAythya ferinaResidentUncommon42–49 cmRegularly Oct–Jan
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Garganey 37–41 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
- Long-tailed Duck 37–60 cm
- Common Scoter 43–54 cm
- Gadwall 46–56 cm
- Velvet Scoter 51–58 cm
- Red-breasted Merganser 52–58 cm
- King Eider 46–64 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