Birds to See in Ulster in December
82 bird species on our list for Ulster are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Hooded Crow, European Robin, Blackbird, Curlew and Jackdaw. New this month: Black Guillemot, Red-billed Chough, Bullfinch and Common Redpoll and 7 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Ulster’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 82 birds in December
82 birds
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.64% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.51% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.68% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.68% in Dec
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.61% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.55% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.42% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.23% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in Dec
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in Dec
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.98% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerWinter visitorCommon66–91 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.91% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.91% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.72% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorCommon55–65 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 1.53% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.47% in Dec
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.34% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.34% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.34% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.28% in Dec
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.28% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.28% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorCommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorCommon23–29 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.08% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Dec
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.96% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.96% in Dec
PochardAythya ferinaPassage migrantCommon42–49 cmRegularly Aug–Dec · 0.96% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.89% in Dec
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.89% in Dec
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.83% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in Dec
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.77% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.77% in Dec
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 0.77% in Dec
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.77% in Dec
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisWinter visitorCommon58–70 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.70% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.70% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.70% in Dec
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.64% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.57% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.57% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantCommon22–27 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.57% in Dec
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.57% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.51% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.45% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataPassage migrantUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.45% in Dec
Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxSummer visitorCommon39–43 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.45% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.45% in Dec
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorUncommon32–35 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.38% in Dec
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantCommon39–56 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.38% in Dec
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.38% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.38% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Dec
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusPassage migrantUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Dec · 0.32% in Dec
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.26% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.26% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.26% in Dec
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusSummer visitorCommon13–16 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.26% in Dec
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantUncommon60–75 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.26% in Dec
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.26% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.19% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.19% in Dec
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