Ducks, Geese & Swans in South Ayrshire
Our list for South Ayrshire has 23 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 12 winter visitors, 3 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Ayrshire 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 olorWinter visitorCommon140–160 cmRegularly Aug–May
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRecorded all year
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaWinter visitorUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Greylag GooseAnser anserWinter visitorUncommon75–90 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorUncommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisPassage migrantRare37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
Canada GooseBranta canadensisWinter visitorRare76–110 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentRare40–47 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantRare58–70 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
Brent GooseBranta berniclaPassage migrantRare55–66 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataScarceRare44–51 cm
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentRare43–54 cmRecorded all year
Greater ScaupAythya marilaScarceRare39–56 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
GadwallMareca streperaResidentRare46–56 cmRegularly Dec
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsScarceRare64–81 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 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
- 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
- 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