Birds to See in Netherlands in December
194 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
194 bird species on our list for Netherlands are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Mallard, Blackbird, Great Tit and Coot. New this month: Black-tailed Godwit, Glaucous Gull, Glossy Ibis and Parrot Crossbill and 3 more.
Residents
(101)Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Recorded all year
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Recorded all year
Short-toed Treecreeper
Certhia brachydactylaLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
Recorded all year
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Recorded all year
White-tailed Sea-eagle
Haliaeetus albicillaLC
Recorded all year
Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Northern Goshawk
Astur gentilisLC
Recorded all year
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
Recorded all year
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
Recorded all year
Black Swan
Cygnus atratusLC
Recorded all year
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
Recorded all year
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
Recorded all year
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Recorded all year
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
Recorded all year
Cattle Egret
Ardea ibisLC
Recorded all year
Bar-headed Goose
Anser indicusLC
Recorded all year
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Recorded all year
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Recorded all year
Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseusLC
Recorded all year
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschataLC
Recorded all year
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
Recorded all year
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
Recorded all year
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensisLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Woodlark
Lullula arboreaLC
Recorded all year
Common Crane
Grus grusLC
Recorded all year
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(21)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Recorded all year
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Recorded all year
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Recorded all year
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Feb–Dec
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferrugineaLC
Recorded all year
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellusLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Recorded all year
Winter visitors
(67)Present outside the breeding season
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Sep–Apr
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
Recorded all year
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Sep–May
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Jul–May
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
Regularly Oct–Feb
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly May–Mar
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Recorded all year
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Jul–May
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Sep–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Recorded all year
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Sep–Feb
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Red-breasted Goose
Branta ruficollisVU
Regularly Aug–May
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Jun–Apr
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitorLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Jun–Apr
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulusLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
Regularly Aug–May
Rough-legged Hawk
Buteo lagopusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescensLC
Regularly Jul–May
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Recorded all year
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Wood Duck
Aix sponsaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsiiLC
Regularly Dec–Aug
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
Regularly Sep–Feb
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Swan Goose
Anser cygnoidesEN
Regularly Jul–May
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Regularly Jul–May
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Regularly Nov–May
Serin
Serinus serinusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Passage migrants
(4)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Scarce visitors
(1)Recorded in some years but not every year
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