Birds to See in Switzerland in December
151 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
151 bird species on our list for Switzerland are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Chaffinch. New this month: Green Sandpiper, Tundra Bean Goose, Smew and Swan Goose.
New in December4
Residents
(85)Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Short-toed Treecreeper
Certhia brachydactylaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Recorded all year
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferrugineaLC
Recorded all year
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
Recorded all year
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Alpine Chough
Pyrrhocorax graculusLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Recorded all year
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
Recorded all year
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Goshawk
Astur gentilisLC
Recorded all year
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetosLC
Recorded all year
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC
Recorded all year
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
Recorded all year
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Recorded all year
Cattle Egret
Ardea ibisLC
Recorded all year
Cirl Bunting
Emberiza cirlusLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Wood Duck
Aix sponsaLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschataLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Summer visitors
(12)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Recorded all year
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Serin
Serinus serinusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Recorded all year
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Recorded all year
Black Grouse
Lyrurus tetrixLC
Recorded all year
Woodlark
Lullula arboreaLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Winter visitors
(51)Present outside the breeding season
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Aug–May
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Recorded all year
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
Regularly Aug–May
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Jul–May
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Sep–May
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Nov–May
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Apr
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Jul–May
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitorLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
Regularly Apr–Feb
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
Regularly Nov–Apr
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Nov–May
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Nov–Mar
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Red-breasted Goose
Branta ruficollisVU
Regularly Jun–Apr
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
Regularly Dec–Apr
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Nov–May
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Common Crane
Grus grusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
Regularly Dec–Mar
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Nov–Apr
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Passage migrants
(3)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
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