Ducks, Geese & Swans in Iowa
Our list for Iowa has 27 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 1 summer visitor, 18 winter visitors, 2 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Iowa in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 27, most common first
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–May
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–May
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRegularly Feb–Nov
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorCommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–May
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Jul
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–May
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorCommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorCommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorCommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
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
- 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