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 | |||
| Snow Goose | Anser caerulescens | 4 | |||
| Greylag Goose | Anser anser | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
| Taiga Bean Goose | Anser fabalis | 4 | y | 03-Mar/01 | |
| 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 | |||
| Baikal Teal | Sibirionetta formosa | 5 | |||
| Garganey | Spatula querquedula | 2 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Alpine Swift | Tachymarptis melba | y | 03-Mar/24 | New UK list species | |
| Swift | Apus apus | 1 | |||
| Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | 2 | |||
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | 2 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
| Stock Dove | Columba oenas | 2 | y | 03-Mar/04 | |
| Woodpigeon | Columba palumbus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
| Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur | 2 | |||
| 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 | 03-Mar/11 | |
| Black-necked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | 2 | |||
| Stone-curlew | Burhinus oedicnemus | 2 | |||
| Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
| Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | 5 | |||
| 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 | |
| Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
| Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | 1 | y | 01-Jan/23 | |
| Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | 1 | |||
| Dotterel | Charadrius morinellus | 3 | |||
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | 3 | |||
| Curlew | Numenius arquata | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | 2 | |||
| Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
| Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
| Knot | Calidris canutus | 1 | |||
| Ruff | Calidris pugnax | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
| Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | 2 | |||
| Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | 4 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | 3 | |||
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | 4 | |||
| Redshank | Tringa totanus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
| Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | 2 | |||
| Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | 2 | |||
| Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | 1 | y | 01-Jan/12 | |
| Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | 1 | |||
| Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
| Little Gull | Hydrocoloeus minutus | 2 | |||
| Mediterranean Gull | Ichthyaetus melanocephalus | 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Little Tern | Sternula albifrons | 1 | |||
| Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | 4 | |||
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | 1 | |||
| Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | 1 | |||
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | 3 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Razorbill | Alca torda | 1 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
| Black Guillemot | Cepphus grylle | 2 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
| Puffin | Fratercula arctica | 1 | |||
| Red-throated Diver | Gavia stellata | 1 | y | 02-Feb/16 | |
| Black-throated Diver | Gavia arctica | 2 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | 1 | y | 03-Mar/01 | |
| Bittern | Botaurus stellaris | 3 | |||
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | 2 | |||
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | 1 | y | 01-Jan/03 | |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | 4 | |||
| Great White Egret | Ardea alba | 2 | y | 01-Jan/01 | |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | 1 | y | 01-Jan/04 | |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | 1 | |||
| Honey-buzzard | Pernis apivorus | 4 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Gyr Falcon | Falco rusticolus | 5 | |||
| Peregrine | Falco peregrinus | 1 | 1 | 01-Jan/24 | |
| Ring-necked Parakeet | Psittacula krameri | 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Skylark | Alauda arvensis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/29 | |
| Shore Lark | Eremophila alpestris | 2 | y | 01-Jan/05 | |
| Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | 1 | |||
| Swallow | Hirundo rustica | 1 | |||
| House Martin | Delichon urbicum | 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| King Eider | Somateria spectabilis | y | 03-Mar/17 | ||
| Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | 1 | y | 03-Mar/17 | |
| Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | 1 | |||
| Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | 1 | |||
| Grasshopper Warbler | Locustella naevia | 4 | |||
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | 1 | |||
| Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin | 3 | |||
| Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca | 4 | |||
| Whitethroat | Curruca communis | 2 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | 3 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | 4 | y | 03-Mar/14 | |
| Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | 3 | |||
| Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | 3 | |||
| Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | 1 | y | 01-Jan/09 | |
| Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | 2 | |||
| Pied Wagtail | Motacilla alba | 1 | y | 01-Jan/14 | |
| Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | 1 | y | 01-Jan/23 | |
| Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | 2 | |||
| 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 |