Ducks, Geese & Swans in Tennessee
Our list for Tennessee has 29 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 7 residents, 1 summer visitor, 19 winter visitors and 2 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Tennessee 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 sponsaResidentCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorUncommon40–49 cmRegularly Nov–May
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–May
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorUncommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorRare53–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorRare37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorRare120–150 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorRare140–160 cmRecorded all year
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
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
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck 45–53 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
- Greylag Goose 75–90 cm
- Swan Goose 81–94 cm
- Canada Goose 76–110 cm
- Tundra Swan 120–150 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