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 · Oct
Share of all bird records in Illinois in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 28, most common first
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantRare42–51 cmRegularly Nov
Greylag GooseAnser anserWinter visitorRare75–90 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Black SwanCygnus atratusScarceRare110–142 cm
Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanopteraScarceRare36–43 cmRegularly Apr
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataSummer visitorRare66–84 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
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