Birds to See in Ulster in January
80 bird species on our list for Ulster are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are Hooded Crow, European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Jackdaw and European Robin. New this month: Kittiwake, Razorbill, Eurasian Siskin and Reed Bunting and 6 more.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanArriving
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 80 birds in January
80 birds
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.22% in Jan
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.07% in Jan
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.72% in Jan
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.57% in Jan
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.50% in Jan
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.43% in Jan
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.22% in Jan
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.22% in Jan
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.22% in Jan
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.14% in Jan
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.00% in Jan
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.00% in Jan
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 2.00% in Jan
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 1.93% in Jan
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.79% in Jan
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Jan
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.64% in Jan
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 1.64% in Jan
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.64% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Jan
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.50% in Jan
Common LoonGavia immerWinter visitorCommon66–91 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.50% in Jan
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.50% in Jan
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.43% in Jan
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in Jan
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.36% in Jan
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.29% in Jan
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in Jan
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in Jan
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.22% in Jan
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in Jan
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in Jan
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.14% in Jan
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Jan
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.07% in Jan
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.07% in Jan
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.00% in Jan
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Jan
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorCommon23–29 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.93% in Jan
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.93% in Jan
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.93% in Jan
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.86% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Jan
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.79% in Jan
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Jan
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Jan
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Jan
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.79% in Jan
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.79% in Jan
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisWinter visitorCommon58–70 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.71% in Jan
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in Jan
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantCommon22–27 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.71% in Jan
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.71% in Jan
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.71% in Jan
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in Jan
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.71% in Jan
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.64% in Jan
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorCommon46–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Jan
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.57% in Jan
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.57% in Jan
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorCommon55–65 cmRegularly Jun–Mar · 0.57% in Jan
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoSummer visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.50% in Jan
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.50% in Jan
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.50% in Jan
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.50% in Jan
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.50% in Jan
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.50% in Jan
SanderlingCalidris albaPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.50% in Jan
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.43% in Jan
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantCommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.43% in Jan
KestrelFalco tinnunculusSummer visitorCommon32–39 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.43% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.43% in Jan
EiderSomateria mollissimaSummer visitorUncommon50–71 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.36% in Jan
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.36% in Jan
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataPassage migrantUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.36% in Jan
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.29% in Jan
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantUncommon60–75 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.29% in Jan
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.21% in Jan
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorUncommon32–35 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.21% in Jan
Water RailRallus aquaticusResidentUncommon23–28 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.21% in Jan
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