Ducks, Geese & Swans in Illinois
Our list for Illinois has 28 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 2 summer visitors, 20 winter visitors, 2 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Illinois in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 28, most common first
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–May
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Jul
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorCommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–May
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorUncommon139–157 cmRecorded all year
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Ruddy Duck 35–43 cm
- Cinnamon Teal 36–43 cm
- Hooded Merganser 40–49 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
- 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
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Black Swan 110–142 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