Ducks, Geese & Swans in South Dakota
Our list for South Dakota has 25 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 3 residents, 5 summer visitors, 11 winter visitors, 4 passage migrants and 2 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Dakota 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
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorCommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Northern PintailAnas acutaSummer visitorCommon59–76 cmRecorded all year
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantCommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorCommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Jun
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisSummer visitorCommon35–43 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusPassage migrantUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorUncommon139–157 cmRecorded all year
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanopteraSummer visitorRare36–43 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Greylag GooseAnser anserScarceRare75–90 cm
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
- Greylag Goose 75–90 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