Ducks, Geese & Swans in Edinburgh
Our list for Edinburgh has 24 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 10 residents, 1 summer visitor, 8 winter visitors, 3 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Edinburgh in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 24, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Jan–Nov
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaWinter visitorUncommon51–58 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–May
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorUncommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Aug
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Dec
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantRare58–70 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Brent GooseBranta berniclaPassage migrantRare55–66 cmRegularly Oct
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentRare44–51 cmRegularly Mar
PochardAythya ferinaScarceRare42–49 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
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
- Northern Shoveler 44–51 cm
- Long-tailed Duck 37–60 cm
- Common Scoter 43–54 cm
- Gadwall 46–56 cm
- Surf Scoter 48–60 cm
- Velvet Scoter 51–58 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
- 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