Ducks, Geese & Swans in Scottish Borders
Our list for Scottish Borders has 23 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 9 residents, 4 winter visitors, 5 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Scottish Borders in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
EiderSomateria mollissimaWinter visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantCommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Aug
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–May
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraPassage migrantCommon43–54 cmRegularly Aug–Nov
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly Jan–Oct
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Feb
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisScarceUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Mar–Jun
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaResidentUncommon51–58 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataScarceUncommon44–51 cm
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
SmewMergellus albellusScarceUncommon38–44 cmRegularly Feb
Brent GooseBranta berniclaScarceUncommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep
Greater ScaupAythya marilaScarceUncommon39–56 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Smew 38–44 cm
- Tufted Duck 40–47 cm
- Goldeneye 40–51 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
- 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
- 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