North American landbirds in Britain facts for kids
Many species of North American landbirds sometimes visit Great Britain. These birds are called vagrants. It means they have flown far from their usual homes by accident.
Most of these amazing visitors arrive in the autumn. Southwest England is a popular spot for them. But northern and western Scotland also see many. Some birds even stay for the winter, like the Baltimore oriole. Other birds, such as the white-throated sparrow and dark-eyed junco, are seen more often in the spring.
Why do they come? Strong weather systems, like big storms, can blow them off course. Some birds might also fly too far during their normal migration. This is called an overshoot. Sometimes, birds might even get a ride on a ship!
Amazing Bird Visitors
The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee keeps track of these rare bird sightings. They decide which birds are truly wild visitors. Here is a list of North American birds that have been officially recorded in Great Britain:
- American kestrel
- Mourning dove
- Yellow-billed cuckoo
- Black-billed cuckoo
- Common nighthawk
- Chimney swift
- Belted kingfisher
- Yellow-bellied sapsucker
- Purple martin
- Cliff swallow
- Tree swallow
- Buff-bellied pipit
- Cedar waxwing
- Grey catbird
- Northern mockingbird
- Brown thrasher
- American robin
- Varied thrush
- Veery
- Grey-cheeked thrush
- Swainson's thrush
- Hermit thrush
- Wood thrush
- Scarlet tanager
- Summer tanager
- Red-eyed vireo
- Philadelphia vireo
- Yellow-throated vireo
- Eastern towhee
- Lark sparrow
- Song sparrow
- White-crowned sparrow
- White-throated sparrow
- Dark-eyed junco
- Rose-breasted grosbeak
- Indigo bunting
- Savannah sparrow
- Golden-winged warbler
- Tennessee warbler
- Northern parula
- Yellow warbler
- Chestnut-sided warbler
- Magnolia warbler
- Cape May warbler
- Yellow-rumped warbler
- Blackburnian warbler
- Bay-breasted warbler
- Blackpoll warbler
- Black-and-white warbler
- American redstart
- Ovenbird
- Northern waterthrush
- Common yellowthroat
- Hooded warbler
- Wilson's warbler
- Evening grosbeak
- Baltimore oriole
- Brown-headed cowbird
- Bobolink
Birds We're Not So Sure About
Some birds have been seen, but experts are not certain if they arrived in Great Britain on their own. This means they might have been brought over by people, or escaped from captivity. Here is one such species:
