Ducks, Geese & Swans of Northern Ireland
49 waterfowl recorded in Northern Ireland on the eBird network and profiled in the Birbs encyclopedia — the full list, with photos, sounds and ID notes, plus what's near you now.
49 waterfowl have been recorded in Northern Ireland on eBird, the global citizen-science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and carry a full profile in the Birbs encyclopedia. Every bird below is a member of this group — the family Anatidae. Start with the well-known species, browse the complete list, then check which are being reported near you right now.
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Ducks, Geese & Swans of Northern Ireland to know first
American WigeonMareca americana
Baikal TealSibirionetta formosa
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
Barrow’s GoldeneyeBucephala islandica
Black SwanCygnus atratus
Blue-billed TealSpatula hottentota
Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
Brant GooseBranta bernicla
BuffleheadBucephala albeola
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
Common EiderSomateria mollissima
Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
Common MerganserMergus merganser
Common PochardAythya ferina
Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
Eurasian TealAnas crecca
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
The full list — 49 waterfowl of Northern Ireland in our library
- American Wigeon
- Baikal Teal
- Barnacle Goose
- Barrow’s Goldeneye
- Black Swan
- Blue-billed Teal
- Blue-winged Teal
- Brant Goose
- Bufflehead
- Canada Goose
- Common Eider
- Common Goldeneye
- Common Merganser
- Common Pochard
- Common Scoter
- Common Shelduck
- Eurasian Teal
- Eurasian Wigeon
- Ferruginous Duck
- Gadwall
- Garganey
- Greater Scaup
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Greylag Goose
- King Eider
- Lesser Scaup
- Long-tailed Duck
- Mallard
- Mandarin Duck
- Muscovy Duck
- Mute Swan
- Northern Pintail
- Northern Shoveler
- Paradise Shelduck
- Pink-footed Goose
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Red-crested Pochard
- Ring-necked Duck
- Ruddy Duck
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Smew
- Snow Goose
- Surf Scoter
- Taiga Bean Goose
- Tufted Duck
- Tundra Swan
- Velvet Scoter
- Whooper Swan
- Wood Duck
Keep exploring
- Birds of Northern Ireland
- Sandpipers & Allies of Northern Ireland (35 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Northern Ireland (29 species)
Ducks, Geese & Swans in other regions
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of England (110 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Scotland (69 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Wales (62 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of the United Kingdom (115 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of the United States (102 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Germany (97 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of the Netherlands (91 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Spain (88 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of France (84 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Canada (77 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Portugal (75 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Ireland (64 species)
Species and counts come from the eBird network; "recorded" means reported by birders to eBird. Family grouping follows the IOC World Bird List. Tap any bird for its full profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many waterfowl are found in Northern Ireland?
49 waterfowl that we profile appear on Northern Ireland's eBird-reported checklist. The full A–Z list is on this page; the real total can shift as eBird records are added.
Are all of these waterfowl really found there?
Yes — each one is on Northern Ireland's eBird checklist (reported by birders to the Cornell Lab's eBird), and each of these waterfowl belongs to the family group named on this page. We don't rank them by abundance, because that varies by season and locale.
Where can I see waterfowl in Northern Ireland right now?
Use Birds Near You for live, location-based reports, or turn on rare-bird alerts to hear when a notable one shows up close to you.