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 254–276 of 319 species

Arctic Tern

Arctic Tern

Sterna paradisaeaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-eared Owl

Long-eared Owl

Asio otusLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

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

Mandarin Duck

Aix galericulataLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Temminck's Stint

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckiiLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Jul–May

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

Common Redpoll

Acanthis flammeaLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

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

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellarisLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Tundra Bean Goose

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostrisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Audouin's Gull

Audouin's Gull

Ichthyaetus audouiniiVU

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Feb–Dec

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

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Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalisVU

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitorLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly May–Mar

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

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Spotted Crake

Porzana porzanaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Mar–Oct

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

Cinereous Vulture

Aegypius monachusNT

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegenaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bar-headed Goose

Bar-headed Goose

Anser indicusLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pink-footed Goose

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–May

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

Eider

Somateria mollissimaNT

Winter visitorRare

Recorded all year

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

Aquatic Warbler

Acrocephalus paludicolaVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bonelli's Eagle

Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciataLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

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

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arcticaVU

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Jan–Nov

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

Black Grouse

Lyrurus tetrixLC

Summer visitorRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eleonora's Falcon

Eleonora's Falcon

Falco eleonoraeLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Oct

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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