Birds to See in Spain in December
241 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
241 bird species on our list for Spain are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are European Robin, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Chiffchaff and House Sparrow. New this month: Horned Grebe, Velvet Scoter, White-winged Tern and Tundra Bean Goose and 1 more.
Residents
(130)Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Sardinian Warbler
Curruca melanocephalaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Serin
Serinus serinusLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Recorded all year
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvusLC
Recorded all year
Short-toed Treecreeper
Certhia brachydactylaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Cattle Egret
Ardea ibisLC
Recorded all year
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Recorded all year
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Recorded all year
Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne rupestrisLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Recorded all year
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Monk Parakeet
Myiopsitta monachusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Hoopoe
Upupa epopsLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseusLC
Recorded all year
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Recorded all year
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Dartford Warbler
Curruca undataNT
Recorded all year
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC
Recorded all year
Cirl Bunting
Emberiza cirlusLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
Recorded all year
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Recorded all year
Thekla's Lark
Galerida theklaeLC
Recorded all year
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Recorded all year
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Recorded all year
Cinereous Vulture
Aegypius monachusNT
Recorded all year
Purple Swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrioLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellusLC
Recorded all year
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
Recorded all year
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
Recorded all year
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Recorded all year
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriLC
Recorded all year
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
Recorded all year
Woodlark
Lullula arboreaLC
Recorded all year
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Recorded all year
Blue Rock-thrush
Monticola solitariusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Audouin's Gull
Ichthyaetus audouiniiVU
Recorded all year
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetosLC
Recorded all year
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Recorded all year
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
Recorded all year
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinusLC
Recorded all year
Balearic Shearwater
Puffinus mauretanicusCR
Recorded all year
Northern Goshawk
Astur gentilisLC
Recorded all year
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschataLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Stone-curlew
Burhinus oedicnemusLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxLC
Recorded all year
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferrugineaLC
Recorded all year
Little Bittern
Ixobrychus minutusLC
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Bonelli's Eagle
Aquila fasciataLC
Recorded all year
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitorLC
Recorded all year
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
Recorded all year
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Recorded all year
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
Recorded all year
Black Swan
Cygnus atratusLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Swan Goose
Anser cygnoidesEN
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanusLC
Recorded all year
White-tailed Sea-eagle
Haliaeetus albicillaLC
Recorded all year
Wood Duck
Aix sponsaLC
Recorded all year
Balearic Warbler
Curruca balearicaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
Recorded all year
Indian Peafowl
Pavo cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(14)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Booted Eagle
Hieraaetus pennatusLC
Recorded all year
Little Ringed Plover
Thinornis dubiusLC
Recorded all year
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Recorded all year
Wryneck
Jynx torquillaLC
Recorded all year
Squacco Heron
Ardeola ralloidesLC
Recorded all year
Citril Finch
Carduelis citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Alpine Chough
Pyrrhocorax graculusLC
Recorded all year
European Storm-petrel
Hydrobates pelagicusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterusLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Cockatiel
Nymphicus hollandicusLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Budgerigar
Melopsittacus undulatusLC
Recorded all year
Winter visitors
(84)Present outside the breeding season
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Crane
Grus grusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Mar
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Recorded all year
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Recorded all year
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecicaLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly Jul–May
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Recorded all year
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Jul–Mar
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Oct–Mar
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Recorded all year
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Regularly May–Mar
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Dec–Apr
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Moustached Warbler
Acrocephalus melanopogonLC
Recorded all year
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensisLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
Regularly Oct–Feb
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
Regularly Dec–Mar
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Oct–Jul
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
Regularly Nov–Jul
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipesVU
Regularly Aug–May
Bar-headed Goose
Anser indicusLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Regularly Dec–Feb
Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckiiLC
Regularly Jul–May
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Nov–Mar
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphiaLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Dotterel
Eudromias morinellusLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
Regularly Oct–Feb
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceusNT
Regularly Sep–Mar
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Recorded all year
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianusLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Passage migrants
(12)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Grey Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicariusLC
Regularly Aug–Jan
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly Jun–Mar
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
Regularly Mar–Jan
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
Regularly Dec–Jan
Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna griseaNT
Regularly Jun–Dec
Leach's Storm-petrel
Hydrobates leucorhousVU
Regularly Sep–Jan
Pomarine Jaeger
Stercorarius pomarinusLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabiniLC
Regularly Aug–Dec
Great Shearwater
Ardenna gravisLC
Regularly Jul–Dec
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatusLC
Regularly Jul–Dec
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Little Auk
Alle alleLC
Regularly Nov–Jan
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