Ducks, Geese & Swans in Ohio
Our list for Ohio has 29 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 1 summer visitor, 20 winter visitors, 2 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Ohio in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 29, most common first
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–May
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–May
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorCommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorCommon35–43 cmRegularly Jul–May
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorResidentUncommon139–157 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–May
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorRare57–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Ruddy Duck 35–43 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
- Brent Goose 55–66 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
- 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