Ducks, Geese & Swans in Alabama
Our list for Alabama has 26 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 6 residents, 13 winter visitors, 6 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Alabama in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 26, most common first
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorUncommon40–49 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentUncommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly May–Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorRare54–59 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentRare140–160 cmRecorded all year
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Greylag GooseAnser anserPassage migrantRare75–90 cmRegularly Jun–Mar
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusPassage migrantRare120–150 cmRegularly Jan
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiPassage migrantRare53–76 cmRegularly Jan
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorResidentRare139–157 cmRegularly Jan–Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Ruddy Duck 35–43 cm
- Hooded Merganser 40–49 cm
- Goldeneye 40–51 cm
- Northern Shoveler 44–51 cm
- Greater Scaup 39–56 cm
- Long-tailed Duck 37–60 cm
- Wood Duck 47–54 cm
- Gadwall 46–56 cm
- Surf Scoter 48–60 cm
- Red-breasted Merganser 52–58 cm
- American Black Duck 54–59 cm
- Mallard 50–65 cm
- Ross's Goose 57–64 cm
- Common Merganser 58–68 cm
- Cackling Goose 53–76 cm
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Greater White-fronted Goose 64–81 cm
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 cm
- Snow Goose 69–84 cm
- Greylag Goose 75–90 cm
- Swan Goose 81–94 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Tundra Swan 120–150 cm
- Trumpeter Swan 139–157 cm
- Mute Swan 140–160 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