Ducks, Geese & Swans in Kentucky
Our list for Kentucky has 25 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 18 winter visitors and 2 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Kentucky in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 25, most common first
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Nov–Jun
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–May
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataWinter visitorUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorUncommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Jun
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorResidentRare139–157 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct–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
- Egyptian Goose 63–73 cm
- Greater White-fronted Goose 64–81 cm
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 cm
- Snow Goose 69–84 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