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 208–230 of 319 species

Grey Phalarope

Grey Phalarope

Phalaropus fulicariusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug–Jan

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

Willow Tit

Poecile montanusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-throated Loon

Red-throated Loon

Gavia stellataLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Little Owl

Athene noctuaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Arctic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Tundra Swan

Cygnus columbianusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Booted Eagle

Hieraaetus pennatusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Dipper

Cinclus cinclusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

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Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritimaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Great Shearwater

Ardenna gravisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jul–Oct

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

Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Leach's Storm-petrel

Leach's Storm-petrel

Hydrobates leucorhousVU

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct–Nov

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

Smew

Mergellus albellusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Mar

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

Little Bittern

Ixobrychus minutusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naeviaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Northern Goshawk

Astur gentilisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Curruca currucaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritusVU

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Great Skua

Stercorarius skuaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–Apr

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

Snow Bunting

Plectrophenax nivalisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Feb

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

Barn Owl

Tyto albaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Citril Finch

Carduelis citrinellaLC

ResidentUncommon

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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