Ducks, Geese & Swans in Montana
Our list for Montana has 25 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 3 summer visitors, 10 winter visitors, 6 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Montana 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
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Jul–May
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorCommon59–76 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRecorded all year
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorCommon139–157 cmRecorded all year
Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanopteraSummer visitorCommon36–43 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisSummer visitorCommon35–43 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorCommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantCommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–May
Wood DuckAix sponsaResidentUncommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–May
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Mar–Apr
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiPassage migrantUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Sep–May
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
- 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
- Snow Goose 69–84 cm
- Greylag Goose 75–90 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Tundra Swan 120–150 cm
- Trumpeter Swan 139–157 cm
- Whooper Swan 140–165 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