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 300–319 of 319 species

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipesVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–May

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

Indian Peafowl

Pavo cristatusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Feb–Dec

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

Surf Scoter

Melanitta perspicillataLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jan–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-flanked Bluetail

Red-flanked Bluetail

Tarsiger cyanurusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

Sterna dougalliiLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Aug–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Forster's Tern

Forster's Tern

Sterna forsteriLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb

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

Iceland Gull

Larus glaucoidesLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Feb

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

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Reeves's Pheasant

Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesiiVU

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Jul

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

Ruddy Duck

Oxyura jamaicensisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly May–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rough-legged Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk

Buteo lagopusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Feb

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

Western Capercaillie

Tetrao urogallusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceusNT

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
American Herring Gull

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianusLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Feb

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

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphiaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Dec

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

Monk Parakeet

Myiopsitta monachusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–Feb

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

Cockatiel

Nymphicus hollandicusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Apr–Jul

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

Cackling Goose

Branta hutchinsiiLC

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

Budgerigar

Melopsittacus undulatusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb

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

Black Guillemot

Cepphus grylleLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly 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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