Birds in Bedfordshire
Explore 161 species found in this region.
Bedfordshire may be one of England's smaller counties, but it supports a remarkably diverse range of birdlife, with around 160 species recorded across its varied habitats. From the wetlands of the Marston Vale and the River Great Ouse to ancient woodlands and open farmland, the county attracts everything from elegant Northern Pintails and Mandarin Ducks to scarcer visitors such as the Great Grey Shrike. Notable residents and passage migrants like the Eurasian Woodcock, Northern Lapwing, and Common Sandpiper make Bedfordshire a rewarding destination for birdwatchers throughout the year.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Bar-tailed Godwit arriving this month, and Bohemian Waxwing and Curlew depart for the season.
Showing 116–138 of 161 species
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common year-round resident on farmland and wet grassland. Breeding numbers are declining, but winter flocks can be impressive.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor from autumn through to spring, favouring flooded fields and reservoir margins. An elegant duck always worth searching for.
Sep–Mar
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
An uncommon resident found year-round on shallow lakes and gravel pits. Numbers increase in winter when continental birds supplement the small local population.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
A rare but increasingly seen resident, favouring tall structures for nesting. Recorded in most months, with a gap in midsummer.
Aug–Jun
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally noted in February. Bedfordshire lies south of this species' main wintering range in East Anglia and Lancashire.
Feb
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon year-round resident, though nationally declining. Favours deeper lakes and gravel pits, with numbers boosted by wintering continental birds.
Year-round
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, appearing irregularly in conifer plantations during irruption years, mainly in winter and late summer.
Jul–Mar
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Now a common sight soaring over the county's farmland and woodland edges. Part of the successful reintroduction spreading from the Chilterns.
Year-round
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Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurioLC
A rare autumn passage migrant recorded in September and October. Any sighting in Bedfordshire is a prized find for local birders.
Sep–Oct
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor in winter months. Records may involve wild continental birds or escapees, making provenance often uncertain.
Dec–Mar
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An uncommon but year-round resident of arable fields and chalky downland, often seen in small coveys along field margins.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
A rare resident found at wet grassland and gravel pit edges, with numbers bolstered slightly during passage periods.
Dec–Aug
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving from September and lingering into April. Feeds on berries in hedgerows and often detected by its thin "tseep" flight call.
Sep–Apr
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon resident of reedbeds, wetland margins and damp farmland. Males are recognisable by their black head and white collar in breeding plumage.
Year-round
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
An uncommon spring passage migrant, occasionally pausing on the Chiltern escarpment and open farmland during April.
Apr
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
A rare breeder at gravel pits and reservoir margins from spring to early autumn. Nesting habitat is limited in the county.
Feb–Sep
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Feral populations inhabit towns such as Bedford and Luton year-round, frequenting buildings and urban squares.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common year-round resident, often seen in noisy rookeries in farmland trees across the county's arable landscape.
Year-round
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
A rare passage visitor with scattered records across several months. Not yet established in the county unlike parts of southern England.
Oct–May
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensisLC
Now extremely rare following the national eradication programme, with only occasional July passage records in the county.
Jul
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
A rare autumn passage migrant seen at muddy reservoir margins and gravel pits from August to October.
Aug–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
An uncommon summer breeder nesting colonially in sandy riverbanks and quarry faces. Arrives from March and departs by September.
Mar–Sep
Savi's Warbler
Locustella luscinioidesLC
A rare passage visitor with occasional May records. Any singing bird in Bedfordshire's reedbeds is a major county find.
May