List of birds of Great Britain facts for kids
This is a list of all the different types of birds that have been seen living in the wild in Great Britain. This list follows the official British List, which is kept up to date by the British Ornithologists' Union (BOU). Decisions about which birds are added to this list are made by the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC). They publish their findings in a journal called Ibis.
The British List includes bird species that fit into three main groups:
- Category A: Birds that have been seen in a natural, wild state at least once since January 1, 1950.
- Category B: Birds that were seen in a natural, wild state at least once between January 1, 1800, and December 31, 1949, but haven't been seen since.
- Category C: Birds that were originally brought to Great Britain by people (either on purpose or by accident) but have since created their own wild populations that can survive without more birds being brought in.
Sometimes, a bird can be in more than one group. For example, the Canada goose has a large population that was introduced by humans, but a few wild ones have also visited naturally. So, it fits into both Category A and Category C.
There are also other categories (D, E, and F) used for keeping records, but birds in these groups are not officially on the British List.
- Category D: Birds that might have been seen in a natural state, but there's some doubt about it.
- Category E: Birds that were introduced, transported, or escaped from captivity, and their wild populations aren't thought to be able to survive on their own.
- Category F: Birds recorded before 1800, including very old fossil species.
As of February 13, 2024, there are 634 different bird species on the British List! The newest addition is Stejneger's scoter. Some bird groups that were hard to identify exactly (like certain types of petrels or larks) are also mentioned in a special section. More birds are always being considered for the list by the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee.
When a bird is listed as "rare" on this page, it means that a detailed description is needed for its sighting to be officially accepted by the British Birds Rarities Committee. For other birds, we'll tell you if they live in Great Britain all year, visit for winter, or come to breed in summer.
Overall, the birds in Great Britain are similar to those found in the rest of Europe. Because winters are mild here, many birds, especially ducks, geese, and swans, come to Great Britain to spend the colder months. Some birds, like the oystercatcher, live in Great Britain all year, but they migrate in other parts of the world. Great Britain also gets many "vagrants" – birds that have flown off course from places like Asia and North America. Some American gulls, ducks, and waders visit often enough that they aren't considered rare, such as the ring-billed gull, surf scoter, and pectoral sandpiper. There's even one bird species found only in Great Britain: the Scottish crossbill.
Contents
- Ducks, Geese, and Swans
- Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Nightjars and Allies
- Swifts
- Bustards
- Cuckoos
- Sandgrouse
- Pigeons and Doves
- Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Cranes
- Grebes
- Stone-curlews
- Oystercatchers
- Stilts and Avocets
- Plovers and Lapwings
- Sandpipers and Allies
- Pratincoles and Coursers
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Skuas
- Auks, Murres, and Puffins
- Tropicbirds
- Divers
- Southern Storm Petrels
Ducks, Geese, and Swans
Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae
Swans, ducks, and geese are medium to large birds that are great at living in water. They have webbed feet and flattened bills. In many duck species, the male birds are colorful, while the females are a dull brown. They eat a mix of plants and small animals. Many of these birds live in Britain, especially in winter when huge numbers fly in from Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Brent goose (Branta bernicla) |
 |
A – winter visitor |
| Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Canada goose (Branta canadensis) |
.JPG) |
A & C – resident introduced population, some wild vagrants |
| Barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) |
 |
A & C – winter visitor and resident introduced population |
| Cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Ross's goose (Anser rossii) |
_(23321411711).jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Snow goose (Anser caerulescens) |
 |
A & C – resident introduced population, some wild vagrants |
| Greylag goose (Anser anser) |
.jpg) |
A & C – resident wild and feral populations, winter visitor |
| Taiga bean goose (Anser fabalis) |
 |
A – winter visitor |
| Pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) |
 |
A – winter visitor |
| Tundra bean goose (Anser serrirostris) |
|
A – winter visitor |
| White-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) |
 |
A – winter visitor |
| Lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Mute swan (Cygnus olor) |
.JPG) |
A & C – resident breeding species |
| Bewick's swan (Cygnus columbianus) |
 |
A – winter visitor |
| Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) |
 |
A – winter visitor and occasional breeder |
| Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) |
 |
C – resident introduced population |
| Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) |
_at_Sylvan_Heights.jpg) |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) |
 |
B – Records since 1946 are presumed escapes from captivity |
| Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) |
 |
C – resident introduced population |
| Baikal teal (Sibirionetta formosa) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Garganey (Spatula querquedula) |
_RWD3.jpg) |
A – breeding summer visitor |
| Blue-winged teal (Spatula discors) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Gadwall (Mareca strepera) |
 |
A & C – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Falcated duck (Mareca falcata) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Wigeon (Mareca penelope) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| American wigeon (Mareca americana) |
 |
A – scarce migrant |
| Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) |
 |
A & C – resident breeder, winter visitor and naturalised releases |
| Black duck (Anas rubripes) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Pintail (Anas acuta) |
_I_IMG_0911.jpg) |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Teal (Anas crecca) |
_near_Hodal,_Haryana_W_IMG_6512.jpg) |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Green-winged teal (Anas carolinensis) |
_male.jpg) |
A – scarce migrant |
| Red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) |
_Male,_London_Wetland_Centre_-_Diliff.jpg) |
A & C – scarce migrant and introduced breeder |
| Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) |
_RWD1.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Redhead (Aythya americana) |
.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Pochard (Aythya ferina) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) |
 |
A – scarce migrant |
| Ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) |
 |
A – scarce migrant |
| Tufted duck (Aythya fuligula) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Scaup (Aythya marila) |
 |
A – winter visitor and occasional breeder |
| Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| King eider (Somateria spectabilis) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Eider (Somateria mollissima) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) |
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A – scarce migrant |
| Velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca) |
 |
A – winter visitor |
| White-winged scoter (Melanitta deglandi) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Stejneger's scoter (Melanitta stejnegeri) |
 |
A – rare vagrant, first recorded 2022 |
| Common scoter (Melanitta nigra) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Black scoter (Melanitta americana) |
_(15823275243).jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) |
 |
A – winter visitor and occasional breeder |
| Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) |
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A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Smew (Mergellus albellus) |
 |
A – winter visitor |
| Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) |
_(1).JPG) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Goosander (Mergus merganser) |
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A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) |
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A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) |
 |
C – introduced species currently subject to an eradication programme |
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae
These birds live and nest on the ground. They vary in size but are generally plump, with wide, short wings. Four of these species were brought to Great Britain for hunting or as ornamental birds. One of them has now disappeared.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Red grouse (Lagopus lagopus) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) |
 |
C – resident reintroduced population |
| Black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Grey partridge (Perdix perdix) |
.jpg) |
A & C – resident breeder and introduced gamebird |
| Golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) |
 |
C – resident introduced population |
| Lady Amherst's pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) |
 |
C – introduced population, now believed to be extirpated |
| Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) |
.jpg) |
C – resident introduced population |
| Quail (Coturnix coturnix) |
-1.JPG) |
A – breeding summer visitor |
| Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) |
 |
C – resident introduced population |
Nightjars and Allies
Order: Caprimulgiformes Family: Caprimulgidae
Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually nest on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers are colored to help them blend in with bark or leaves.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Red-necked nightjar (Caprimulgus ruficollis) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) |
 |
A – breeding summer visitor |
| Egyptian nightjar (Caprimulgus aegyptius) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
Swifts
Order: Apodiformes Family: Apodidae
Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| White-throated needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Alpine swift (Apus melba) |
 |
A – scarce migrant |
| Swift (Apus apus) |
.jpg) |
A – breeding summer visitor |
| Pallid swift (Apus pallidus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Pacific swift (Apus pacificus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Little swift (Apus affinis) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| White-rumped swift (Apus caffer) |
,_crop.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
Bustards
Order: Otidiformes Family: Otididae
Bustards are large, strong birds that live on open plains. They have long legs and necks and strong feet. All bustards are rare visitors to Great Britain.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Great bustard (Otis tarda) |
 |
A – rare vagrant and recently reintroduced breeding resident species |
| MacQueen's bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii) |
 |
B – rare vagrant |
| Little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
Cuckoos
Order: Cuculiformes Family: Cuculidae
Cuckoos are birds of different sizes with thin bodies and long tails. Some cuckoo species are famous for laying their eggs in the nests of other birds, letting other birds raise their young.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) |
.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) |
 |
A – breeding summer visitor |
Sandgrouse
Order: Pterocliformes Family: Pteroclidae
Sandgrouse are strong, medium-sized birds with small heads and long, pointed wings.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pallas's sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) |
.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant; has bred |
Pigeons and Doves
Order: Columbiformes Family: Columbidae
Pigeons and doves are plump birds with short necks and thin bills that have a soft, fleshy part at the base called a cere. There are 344 species around the world, and seven of them are found in Britain.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Rock pigeon or feral pigeon (Columba livia) |
_in_Kolkata_I_IMG_9762.jpg) |
A & C – resident; most birds are of feral origin |
| Stock dove (Columba oenas) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) |
.jpg) |
A – breeding summer visitor |
| Oriental turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
Order: Gruiformes Family: Rallidae
These birds mostly live in thick plants in wet areas like lakes, marshes, or rivers. Many are shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, which help them walk on soft, uneven ground.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Water rail (Rallus aquaticus) |
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A – resident breeding species |
| Corncrake (Crex crex) |
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A – breeding summer visitor |
| Sora rail (Porzana carolina) |
.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Spotted crake (Porzana porzana) |
.jpg) |
A – scarce breeding summer visitor |
| Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) |
_Wolvercote.jpg) |
A – resident breeding species |
| Coot (Fulica atra) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| American coot (Fulica americana) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Allen's gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| American purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) |
 |
A – rare vagrant; first recorded 2016 |
| Baillon's crake (Zapornia pusilla) |
 |
A – rare vagrant, formerly bred |
| Little crake (Zapornia parva) |
.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
Cranes
Order: Gruiformes Family: Gruidae
Cranes are large birds with long legs and necks. Unlike herons, which look similar but are not related, cranes fly with their necks stretched out, not pulled back. Most cranes have fancy and loud displays when they are looking for a mate.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) |
.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Crane (Grus grus) |
.jpg) |
A – resident breeding species and passage migrant |
Grebes
Order: Podicipediformes Family: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds with lobed toes and pointed bills. They are mostly seen on calm waters and coasts. They eat aquatic animals and build their nests on floating platforms made of plants.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) |
 |
A – winter visitor; has bred |
| Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) |
 |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Slavonian grebe (Podiceps auritus) |
_-_(Podiceps_auritus).JPG) |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) |
2.jpg) |
A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
Stone-curlews
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Burhinidae
This is a small family of medium to large wading birds. They have strong black bills, big yellow eyes, and feathers that help them blend in with their surroundings.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) |
 |
A – breeding summer visitor |
Oystercatchers
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Haematopodidae
Oystercatchers are large, noticeable, and noisy wading birds. They have strong bills that they use to break open or pry apart molluscs. There are eleven species worldwide, and one is found in Britain.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
Stilts and Avocets
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Recurvirostridae
This family includes fairly large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and long bills that curve upwards. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are ten species worldwide, with two found in Britain.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) |
 |
A – scarce migrant and occasional breeder |
| Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
Plovers and Lapwings
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae
These are small to medium-sized wading birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) |
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A – resident breeding species |
| Sociable plover (Vanellus gregarius) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| White-tailed plover (Vanellus leucurus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) |
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A – winter visitor and passage migrant, scarce breeder |
| Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| American golden plover (Pluvialis dominica) |
 |
A – scarce migrant |
| Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) |
.jpg) |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) |
 |
A – resident breeding species and summer visitor |
| Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) |
 |
A – breeding summer visitor |
| Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) |
 |
A – former breeder, now rare vagrant. |
| Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Caspian plover (Charadrius asiaticus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) |
 |
A – breeding summer visitor |
Sandpipers and Allies
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae
This is a large and varied family of wading birds. They have different lengths of legs and bills, which allows many species to feed in the same areas, especially on the coast, without competing for food.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) |
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A – breeding summer visitor |
| Hudsonian whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Little whimbrel (Numenius minutus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Eskimo curlew (Numenius borealis) |
B – extinct | |
| Curlew (Numenius arquata) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) |
 |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) |
 |
A – winter visitor, passage migrant and scarce summer breeding species |
| Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) |
.jpg) |
A – resident breeding species |
| Great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Knot (Calidris canutus) |
.jpg) |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Ruff (Calidris pugnax) |
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A – passage migrant and scarce breeding resident |
| Broad-billed sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Stilt sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) |
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A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Temminck's stint (Calidris temminckii) |
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A – winter visitor and passage migrant, occasional breeder |
| Long-toed stint (Calidris subminuta) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Sanderling (Calidris alba) |
 |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Dunlin (Calidris alpina) |
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A – winter visitor and passage migrant, scarce breeder |
| Purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) |
 |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant, occasional breeder |
| Baird's sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Little stint (Calidris minuta) |
_(1).jpg) |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| White-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) |
 |
A – scarce migrant |
| Buff-breasted sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) |
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A – passage migrant |
| Pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) |
 |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Long-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Jack snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) |
.jpg) |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Great snipe (Gallinago media) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) |
 |
A – resident breeding species and summer visitor |
| Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Terek sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) |
.jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
| Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) |
 |
A – winter visitor: scarce and localised summer breeding in far North |
| Grey phalarope (Phalaropus fulicaria) |
 |
A – scarce winter visitor |
| Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) |
 |
A – resident breeding species and passage migrant |
| Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) |
-_In_Breeding_plumage_at_Bharatpur_I_IMG_5533.jpg) |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant, occasional breeder |
| Solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Grey-tailed tattler (Tringa brevipes) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) |
 |
A – scarce migrant, formerly a rare vagrant |
| Redshank (Tringa totanus) |
 |
A – resident breeding species |
| Marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola) |
 |
A – passage migrant and rare localised breeder in far North |
| Spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus) |
 |
A – winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) |
 |
A – resident breeding species and passage migrant |
| Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
Pratincoles and Coursers
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Glareolidae
This family includes slender, long-winged wading birds.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Cream-coloured courser (Cursorius cursor) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Oriental pratincole (Glareola maldivarum) |
 |
A – rare vagrant |
| Black-winged pratincole (Glareola nordmanni) |
_at_Mkhombo_Dam,_Mpumalanga_(36861637734).jpg) |
A – rare vagrant |
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae
These are medium to large seabirds with grey, white, and black feathers. They have webbed feet and strong bills. Many are good at finding food in different ways.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) |
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A – breeding summer visitor and resident species |
| Ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Sabine's gull (Xema sabini) |
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A – scarce winter visitor |
| Slender-billed gull (Chroicocephalus genei) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Bonaparte's gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) |
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A – resident breeding species |
| Little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) |
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A – winter visitor, occasional breeder |
| Ross's gull (Rhodostethia rosea) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Franklin's gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) |
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A – breeding summer visitor, and resident in south. |
| Great black-headed gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) |
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B – rare vagrant |
| Common gull (Larus canus) |
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A – resident breeding species, winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) |
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A – scarce winter visitor and passage migrant |
| Great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) |
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A – resident breeding species and passage migrant |
| Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus) |
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A – rare vagrant; first recorded 2022 |
| Glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) |
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A – winter visitor; has bred |
| Iceland gull (Larus glaucoides) |
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A – scarce winter visitor |
| European herring gull (Larus argentatus) |
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A – resident breeding species |
| American herring gull (Larus smithsonianus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Caspian gull (Larus cachinnans) |
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A – scarce migrant |
| Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) |
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A – non-breeding late-summer visitor and passage migrant; has bred |
| Slaty-backed gull (Larus schistisagus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) |
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A – resident breeding species and passage migrant |
| Gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) |
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A – rare vagrant; has bred |
| Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Royal tern (Thalasseus maximus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Lesser crested tern (Thalasseus bengalensis) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) |
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A – breeding summer visitor |
| Cabot's tern (Thalasseus acuflavida) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Little tern (Sternula albifrons) |
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A – breeding summer visitor |
| Least tern (Sternula antillarum) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Aleutian tern (Onychoprion aleutica) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Bridled tern (Onychoprion anaethetus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscata) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Roseate tern (Sterna dougallii) |
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A – scarce breeding summer visitor |
| Common tern (Sterna hirundo) |
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A – breeding summer visitor |
| Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) |
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A – breeding summer visitor |
| Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybridus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| White-winged black tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) |
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A – scarce migrant |
| Black tern (Chlidonias niger) |
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A – passage migrant, occasional breeder |
Skuas
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Stercorariidae
Skuas are medium to large seabirds, usually with grey or brown feathers. They have sharp claws and a hooked tip on their bill. They are known for chasing other seabirds to make them drop the fish they've caught.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| South Polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Great skua (Stercorarius skua) |
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A – passage migrant and localised summer breeder |
| Pomarine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus) |
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A – passage migrant |
| Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus) |
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A – passage migrant and localised summer breeder |
| Long-tailed skua (Stercorarius longicaudus) |
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A – passage migrant |
Auks, Murres, and Puffins
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Alcidae
This family of seabirds looks a bit like penguins because of their black-and-white colors and how they stand upright. However, unlike penguins, these birds can fly!
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Little auk (Alle alle) |
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A – rare winter visitor |
| Brünnich's guillemot (Uria lomvia) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Common guillemot (Uria aalge) |
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A – breeding summer visitor and resident species |
| Razorbill (Alca torda) |
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A – breeding summer visitor and resident species |
| Great auk (Pinguinus impennis) |
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B – extinct |
| Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) |
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A – resident localised breeding species |
| Long-billed murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Ancient murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Puffin (Fratercula arctica) |
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A – breeding summer visitor |
| Tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) |
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A – rare vagrant |
Tropicbirds
Order: Phaethontiformes Family: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are thin white birds that live over tropical oceans. They have very long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) |
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A – rare vagrant |
Divers
Order: Gaviiformes Family: Gaviidae
Divers are aquatic birds about the size of a large duck, but they are not related. They swim very well and fly adequately, but they can barely move on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies. They eat fish and other aquatic animals.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata) |
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A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Black-throated diver (Gavia arctica) |
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A – resident breeder and winter visitor |
| Pacific diver (Gavia pacifica) |
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A – rare vagrant |
| Great northern diver (Gavia immer) |
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A – winter visitor; has bred |
| White-billed diver (Gavia adamsii) |
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A – rare vagrant |
Southern Storm Petrels
Order: Procellariiformes Family: Oceanitidae
Southern storm petrels are the smallest seabirds. They feed on tiny plankton and small fish that they pick from the water's surface, often while hovering. They nest in groups on the ground, usually in burrows.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) |
