Ducks, Geese & Swans in North Dakota
Our list for North Dakota has 23 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 9 summer visitors, 5 winter visitors and 7 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in North Dakota in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
Canada GooseBranta canadensisWinter visitorCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Northern PintailAnas acutaSummer visitorCommon59–76 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensPassage migrantCommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorCommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GadwallMareca streperaSummer visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantCommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisSummer visitorCommon35–43 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusSummer visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusPassage migrantCommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiPassage migrantUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–May
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorSummer visitorUncommon139–157 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisPassage migrantUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Dec
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
American Black DuckAnas rubripesSummer visitorRare54–59 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanopteraResidentRare36–43 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
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
- Snow Goose 69–84 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Tundra Swan 120–150 cm
- Trumpeter Swan 139–157 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