This list is not intended to be comprehensive in terms of species seen in the UK – although based on the full BTO list I have removed all the real rarities and made a list based on what I’ve seen in the past, and what I think I’m likely to maybe see this year: I can always add species back if I see something really unusual 🙂
The “Will I see it?” column is given1-5 (1 = most likely, 5 = least likely) based on my past experience and limited knowledge of distribution, rather than on anything scientific!
You can click on the columns or use the search function to re-order the data – allowing you to quickly find out what we’ve seen so far, or to locate a particular species.
COMMON NAME (UK) | LATIN NAME | WILL I SEE IT? | SEEN IN 2023? | FIRST DATE SEEN (mm-month name/dd) | STEVE'S NOTES |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brent Goose | Branta bernicla | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Red-breasted Goose | Branta ruficollis | 5 | |||
Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | 1 | y | 02-Feb/11 | |
Barnacle Goose | Branta leucopsis | 1 | y | 03-Mar/30 | |
Snow Goose | Anser caerulescens | 4 | |||
Greylag Goose | Anser anser | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Taiga Bean Goose | Anser fabalis | 4 | |||
Pink-footed Goose | Anser brachyrhynchus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
Tundra Bean Goose | Anser serrirostris | 5 | |||
White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | 1 | y | 01-Jan/15 | |
Lesser White-fronted Goose | Anser erythropus | 4 | |||
Mute Swan | Cygnus olor | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Bewick's Swan | Cygnus columbianus | 1 | |||
Whooper Swan | Cygnus cygnus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/17 | |
Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca | 1 | y | 01-Jan/14 | |
Shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Ruddy Shelduck | Tadorna ferruginea | 4 | y | 02-Feb/10 | |
Mandarin Duck | Aix galericulata | 2 | y | 05-May/22 | |
Baikal Teal | Sibirionetta formosa | 5 | |||
Garganey | Spatula querquedula | 2 | y | 03-Mar/26 | |
Blue-winged Teal | Spatula discors | 5 | |||
Shoveler | Spatula clypeata | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Gadwall | Mareca strepera | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Wigeon | Mareca penelope | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Pintail | Anas acuta | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Teal | Anas crecca | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Green-winged Teal | Anas carolinensis | 4 | y | 02-Feb/19 | |
Red-crested Pochard | Netta rufina | 5 | |||
Pochard | Aythya ferina | 1 | y | 01-Jan/24 | |
Ferruginous Duck | Aythya nyroca | 4 | |||
Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | 4 | y | 04-Apr/06 | |
Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/24 | |
Scaup | Aythya marila | 2 | y | 03-Mar/17 | |
Eider | Somateria mollissima | 1 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
Harlequin Duck | Histrionicus histrionicus | 5 | |||
Common Scoter | Melanitta nigra | 3 | y | 04-Apr/07 | |
Long-tailed Duck | Clangula hyemalis | 1 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Smew | Mergellus albellus | 2 | |||
Goosander | Mergus merganser | 1 | y | 02-Feb/14 | |
Red-breasted Merganser | Mergus serrator | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | 4 | |||
Red Grouse | Lagopus lagopus | 1 | y | 07-Jul/21 | |
Ptarmigan | Lagopus muta | 4 | |||
Capercaillie | Tetrao urogallus | 5 | |||
Black Grouse | Lyrurus tetrix | 3 | |||
Grey Partridge | Perdix perdix | 1 | y | 01-Jan/13 | |
Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Red-legged Partridge | Alectoris rufa | 1 | y | 01-Jan/08 | |
Nightjar | Caprimulgus europaeus | 2 | y | 05-May/17 | |
Alpine Swift | Tachymarptis melba | y | 03-Mar/24 | New UK list species | |
Swift | Apus apus | 1 | y | 05-May/07 | |
Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | 2 | y | 05-May/09 | |
Rock Dove | Columba livia | 2 | y | 05-May/29 | |
Stock Dove | Columba oenas | 2 | y | 08-Aug/12 | |
Woodpigeon | Columba palumbus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur | 2 | y | 05-May/07 | |
Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | 1 | y | 01-Jan/06 | |
Water Rail | Rallus aquaticus | 3 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Corncrake | Crex crex | 5 | |||
Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Coot | Fulica atra | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Crane | Grus grus | 2 | y | 03-Mar/02 | |
Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
Red-necked Grebe | Podiceps grisegena | 2 | |||
Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/23 | |
Slavonian Grebe | Podiceps auritus | 2 | y | 07-Jul/22 | |
Black-necked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 2 | y | 07-Jul/30 | |
Stone-curlew | Burhinus oedicnemus | 2 | y | 05-May/01 | |
Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | 5 | y | 05-May/28 | |
Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Golden Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
American Golden Plover | Pluvialis dominica | y | 06-Jun/17 | New life-list species | |
Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/23 | |
Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | 1 | y | 04-Apr/14 | |
Dotterel | Charadrius morinellus | 3 | y | 05-May/05 | |
Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | 3 | |||
Curlew | Numenius arquata | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | 2 | y | 09-Sep/05 | |
Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
Knot | Calidris canutus | 1 | y | 06-Jun/17 | |
Ruff | Calidris pugnax | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | 2 | y | 05-May/05 | |
Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | 4 | y | 05-May/05 | |
Sanderling | Calidris alba | 2 | y | 01-Jan/21 | |
Dunlin | Calidris alpina | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Purple Sandpiper | Calidris maritima | 3 | y | 03-Mar/17 | |
Little Stint | Calidris minuta | 3 | y | 05-May/15 | |
Woodcock | Scolopax rusticola | 3 | |||
Jack Snipe | Lymnocryptes minimus | 4 | |||
Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | 5 | |||
Grey Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | 5 | |||
Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | 1 | y | 05-May/04 | |
Pectoral sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | y | 07-Jul/16 | ||
Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | 3 | y | 07-Jul/31 | |
Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | 4 | |||
Redshank | Tringa totanus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | 2 | y | 05-May/12 | |
Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | 2 | y | 07-Jul/06 | |
Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | 1 | y | 05-May/29 | |
Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Little Gull | Hydrocoloeus minutus | 2 | y | 05-May/07 | |
Mediterranean Gull | Ichthyaetus melanocephalus | 1 | y | 04-Apr/11 | |
Common Gull | Larus canus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/17 | |
Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Glaucous Gull | Larus hyperboreus | 4 | |||
Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michahellis | 3 | |||
Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis | 1 | y | 06-Jun/17 | |
Little Tern | Sternula albifrons | 1 | y | 05-May/25 | |
Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | 4 | |||
Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | 1 | y | 05-May/07 | |
Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | 1 | y | 06-Jun/10 | |
Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | 3 | y | 06-Jun/10 | |
Great Skua | Stercorarius skua | 4 | |||
Pomarine Skua | Stercorarius pomarinus | 5 | |||
Arctic Skua | Stercorarius parasiticus | 3 | |||
Long-tailed Skua | Stercorarius longicaudus | 5 | |||
Little Auk | Alle alle | 4 | |||
Common Guillemot | Uria aalge | 1 | y | 05-May/29 | |
Razorbill | Alca torda | 1 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
Black Guillemot | Cepphus grylle | 2 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
Puffin | Fratercula arctica | 1 | y | 05-May/29 | |
Red-throated Diver | Gavia stellata | 1 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
Black-throated Diver | Gavia arctica | 2 | y | 07-Jul/23 | |
Great Northern Diver | Gavia immer | 2 | |||
White-billed Diver | Gavia adamsii | 4 | |||
Black-browed Albatross | Thalassarche melanophris | 5 | |||
Storm Petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | 4 | |||
Fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | 1 | y | 05-May/29 | |
Manx Shearwater | Puffinus puffinus | 4 | |||
Gannet | Morus bassanus | 1 | y | 02-Feb/19 | |
Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | 1 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
Shag | Gulosus aristotelis | 1 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | 3 | y | 05-May/05 | |
Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | 1 | y | 03-Mar/01 | |
Bittern | Botaurus stellaris | 3 | y | 04-Apr/25 | |
Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | 2 | y | 09-Sep/20 | |
Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | 4 | |||
Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | y | 04-Apr/16 | New UK list species | |
Great White Egret | Ardea alba | 2 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | 1 | y | 06-Jun/01 | |
Honey-buzzard | Pernis apivorus | 4 | y | 07-Jul/05 | |
Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | 3 | |||
Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/17 | |
Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | 5 | y | 02-Feb/01 | New life list species |
Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
Hen Harrier | Circus cyaneus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/17 | |
Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus | 3 | y | 01-Jan/31 | New life list species |
Montagu's Harrier | Circus pygargus | 5 | |||
Red Kite | Milvus milvus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
White-tailed Eagle | Haliaeetus albicilla | 3 | y | 01-Jan/15 | |
Rough-legged Buzzard | Buteo lagopus | 4 | |||
Buzzard | Buteo buteo | 1 | y | 01-Jan/02 | |
Barn Owl | Tyto alba | 1 | y | 01-Jan/07 | |
Little Owl | Athene noctua | 3 | y | 03-Mar/03 | |
Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | 5 | y | 01-Jan/13 | |
Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | 4 | y | 09-Sep/09 | |
Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiacus | 5 | |||
Tawny Owl | Strix aluco | 2 | y | 01-Jan/19 | |
Hoopoe | Upupa epops | 4 | |||
Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | 3 | y | 01-Jan/19 | |
Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | 4 | y | 07-Jul/03 | |
Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | 4 | |||
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | Dryobates minor | 4 | |||
Great Spotted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos major | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/27 | |
Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/02 | |
Merlin | Falco columbarius | 2 | y | 01-Jan/17 | |
Hobby | Falco subbuteo | 2 | y | 05-May/01 | |
Gyr Falcon | Falco rusticolus | 5 | |||
Peregrine | Falco peregrinus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/24 | |
Ring-necked Parakeet | Psittacula krameri | 1 | y | 05-May/03 | |
Red-backed Shrike | Lanius collurio | 5 | |||
Lesser Grey Shrike | Lanius minor | 5 | |||
Great Grey Shrike | Lanius excubitor | 4 | |||
Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus | 5 | |||
Jay | Garrulus glandarius | 1 | y | 01-Jan/16 | |
Magpie | Pica pica | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Chough | Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | 3 | |||
Jackdaw | Coloeus monedula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Rook | Corvus frugilegus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/02 | |
Carrion Crow | Corvus corone | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Hooded Crow | Corvus cornix | 1 | y | 07-Jul/22 | |
Raven | Corvus corax | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | 3 | |||
Coal Tit | Periparus ater | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Crested Tit | Lophophanes cristatus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/02 | |
Marsh Tit | Poecile palustris | 2 | y | 01-Jan/19 | |
Willow Tit | Poecile montanus | 4 | |||
Blue Tit | Cyanistes caeruleus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Great Tit | Parus major | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Penduline Tit | Remiz pendulinus | 5 | |||
Bearded Tit | Panurus biarmicus | 3 | y | 03-Mar/07 | |
Woodlark | Lullula arborea | 3 | y | 04-Apr/12 | New life list species |
Skylark | Alauda arvensis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/29 | |
Shore Lark | Eremophila alpestris | 2 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | 1 | y | 03-Mar/26 | |
Swallow | Hirundo rustica | 1 | y | 04-Apr/06 | |
House Martin | Delichon urbicum | 1 | y | 04-Apr/21 | |
Cetti's Warbler | Cettia cetti | 2 | y | 01-Jan/23 | |
Long-tailed Tit | Aegithalos caudatus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/06 | |
Wood Warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix | 3 | |||
Yellow-browed Warbler | Phylloscopus inornatus | 4 | |||
Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | 3 | y | 04-Apr/10 | |
King Eider | Somateria spectabilis | y | 03-Mar/17 | ||
Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | 1 | y | 03-Mar/17 | |
Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | 1 | y | 04-Apr/18 | |
Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | y | 05-May/11 | New life list species | |
Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | 1 | y | 05-May/01 | |
Grasshopper Warbler | Locustella naevia | 4 | |||
Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | 1 | y | 04-Apr/16 | |
Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin | 3 | y | 05-May/09 | |
Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca | 4 | y | 05-May/09 | |
Whitethroat | Curruca communis | 2 | y | 04-Apr/25 | |
Dartford Warbler | Curruca undata | 4 | |||
Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla | 5 | y | 01-Jan/29 | |
Goldcrest | Regulus regulus | 2 | y | 01-Jan/14 | |
Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Nuthatch | Sitta europaea | 1 | y | 01-Jan/19 | |
Treecreeper | Certhia familiaris | 1 | y | 01-Jan/02 | |
Rose-coloured Starling | Pastor roseus | 4 | |||
Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | 1 | y | 02-Feb/03 | |
Mistle Thrush | Turdus viscivorus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/24 | |
Redwing | Turdus iliacus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/24 | |
Blackbird | Turdus merula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Fieldfare | Turdus pilaris | 1 | y | 01-Jan/02 | |
Ring Ouzel | Turdus torquatus | 4 | y | 04-Apr/19 | |
Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | 3 | y | 07-Jul/21 | |
Robin | Erithacus rubecula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/02 | |
Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica | 5 | |||
Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | 4 | |||
Red-flanked Bluetail | Tarsiger cyanurus | 5 | |||
Red-breasted Flycatcher | Ficedula parva | 5 | |||
Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | 3 | y | 05-May/01 | |
Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | 4 | y | 03-Mar/14 | |
Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | 3 | y | 06-Jun/09 | |
Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | 3 | |||
Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
Isabelline Wheatear | Oenanthe isabellina | y | 04-Apr/21 | New UK list species | |
Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | 1 | y | 04-Apr/21 | |
Dipper | Cinclus cinclus | 2 | y | 03-Mar/12 | |
Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/06 | |
Dunnock | Prunella modularis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | 2 | y | 04-Apr/21 | |
Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | 2 | y | 04-Apr/16 | |
Pied Wagtail | Motacilla alba | 1 | y | 01-Jan/14 | |
Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/23 | |
Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | 2 | y | 05-May/31 | |
Water Pipit | Anthus spinoletta | 2 | y | 03-Mar/07 | New life list species |
Rock Pipit | Anthus petrosus | 2 | y | 03-Mar/14 | |
Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla | 2 | y | 01-Jan/19 | |
Hawfinch | Coccothraustes coccothraustes | 3 | y | 02-Feb/04 | |
Bullfinch | Pyrrhula pyrrhula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/10 | |
Greenfinch | Chloris chloris | 1 | y | 01-Jan/19 | |
Twite | Linaria flavirostris | 3 | y | 02-Feb/11 | |
Linnet | Linaria cannabina | 1 | y | 01-Jan/10 | |
Common Redpoll | Acanthis flammea | 2 | y | 01-Jan/19 | |
Lesser Redpoll | Acanthis cabaret | 2 | |||
Arctic Redpoll | Acanthis hornemanni | 4 | |||
Parrot Crossbill | Loxia pytyopsittacus | 5 | |||
Scottish Crossbill | Loxia scotica | 4 | |||
Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | 3 | |||
Two-barred Crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | 5 | |||
Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
Serin | Serinus serinus | 3 | |||
Siskin | Spinus spinus | 2 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Lapland Bunting | Calcarius lapponicus | 4 | y | 02-Feb/26 | New life list species |
Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra | 3 | |||
Yellowhammer | Emberiza citrinella | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Reed Bunting | Emberiza schoeniclus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
Hume's warbler | Phylloscopus humei) | y | 01-Jan/07 | New life list species | |
Long-billed dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | y | 01-Jan/09 | New life list species | |
Velvet Scoter | Melanitta fusca | y | 03-Mar/11 | New life list species | |
Pallas' leaf warbler | Phylloscopus proregulus | y | 02-Feb/23 | New life list species | |
Kentish plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | y | 04-Apr/14 | New UK list species |