Ducks, Geese & Swans in West Virginia
Our list for West Virginia has 25 ducks, geese & swans recorded regularly there: 4 residents, 1 summer visitor, 18 winter visitors, 1 passage migrant and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in West Virginia 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 platyrhynchosWinter visitorCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–May
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Dec–Mar
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentRare140–160 cmRecorded all year
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorRare57–64 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorRare53–76 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Eurasian Teal 34–38 cm
- Ruddy Duck 35–43 cm
- Hooded Merganser 40–49 cm
- Goldeneye 40–51 cm
- Greater Scaup 39–56 cm
- Northern Shoveler 44–51 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
- Muscovy Duck 66–84 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