Ducks, Geese & Swans in District of Columbia
Our list for District of Columbia has 19 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 13 winter visitors and 3 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in District of Columbia in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 19, most common first
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorRare120–150 cmRegularly Nov–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
- Common Merganser 58–68 cm
- Cackling Goose 53–76 cm
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Snow Goose 69–84 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Tundra Swan 120–150 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