Ducks, Geese & Swans in Shetland Islands
Our list for Shetland Islands has 30 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 14 residents, 1 summer visitor, 7 winter visitors and 8 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Shetland Islands in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 30, most common first
PochardAythya ferinaResidentUncommon42–49 cmRegularly May–Oct
King EiderSomateria spectabilisPassage migrantUncommon46–64 cmRegularly Oct
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly May–Jun
GadwallMareca streperaResidentRare46–56 cmRegularly May
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly May
Mandarin DuckAix galericulataResidentRare41–49 cmRegularly Apr
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Garganey 37–41 cm
- Tufted Duck 40–47 cm
- Mandarin Duck 41–49 cm
- Goldeneye 40–51 cm
- Pochard 42–49 cm
- Eurasian Wigeon 42–51 cm
- Greater Scaup 39–56 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
- 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
- Tundra Bean Goose 66–84 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