Birds in France

319 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for France has 319 bird species recorded regularly there: 128 residents, 79 summer visitors, 72 winter visitors, 37 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 4.3 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in France in September

261 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 261 birds in September

Arriving in September: Eurasian Siskin, Eurasian Wigeon, Brent Goose, Merlin, Razorbill, Red-throated Loon, Purple Sandpiper, White-tailed Sea-eagle and 4 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in France each month: most in October (270), fewest in January (220). Choose a month to see its birds.

261270
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Mute Swan
Mute SwanLargest · 160cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Mute Swan (160 cm)64 families

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All 319 birds on the list

Showing 1–23 of 319 species

ResidentRecorded all yearSummer visitorArrives to breed; scarce or absent in winterWinter visitorPresent outside the breeding seasonPassage migrantSeen mainly in spring and autumn migrationScarceRecorded in some years but not every yearCommonAmong the most-recorded birds in its best monthUncommonRecorded regularly, but on a minority of outingsRareFew records, even in its best month
Woodpigeon

Woodpigeon

Columba palumbusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Robin

European Robin

Erithacus rubeculaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blackbird

Blackbird

Turdus merulaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Carrion Crow

Carrion Crow

Corvus coroneLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Tit

Great Tit

Parus majorLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebsLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Blackcap

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapillaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Swift

Common Swift

Apus apusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Magpie

Magpie

Pica picaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybitaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rusticaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Starling

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgarisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carboLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Mallard

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchosLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Ardea cinereaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Goldfinch

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaoctoLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Motacilla albaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Buzzard

Buzzard

Buteo buteoLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Wren

Eurasian Wren

Troglodytes troglodytesLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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