Ducks, Geese & Swans in Orkney Islands
Our list for Orkney Islands has 26 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 9 residents, 3 summer visitors, 4 winter visitors, 8 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Orkney Islands in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Feb–Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantCommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–May
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorCommon58–67 cmRegularly Mar–Jul
GadwallMareca streperaPassage migrantCommon46–56 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsScarceCommon64–81 cm
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantCommon60–75 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraPassage migrantUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentUncommon58–68 cmRegularly Jun–Oct
PochardAythya ferinaResidentUncommon42–49 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly May
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Garganey 37–41 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
- 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
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Pink-footed Goose 60–75 cm
- Greater White-fronted Goose 64–81 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