Birds to See in Berkshire in April
118 species matching this filter.
Berkshire comes alive with birdlife in April, as spring migration brings a wealth of arriving species alongside year-round residents. With 118 species recorded during this month, the county's diverse habitats — from the Thames Valley wetlands and gravel pits to ancient woodlands and open farmland — support everything from Barn Owls and Linnets to newly arrived Common Reed-warblers and House Martins. April is an exceptional time to witness the changing of the seasons, as winter visitors like Fieldfares prepare to depart while summer migrants settle in to breed.
New in April20
Resident
(87)
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare but cherished resident of Berkshire's farmland, occasionally glimpsed hunting along field margins at dusk.
Nov–Aug
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
One of Berkshire's most familiar garden birds, present year-round. Males sing richly from rooftops and treetops from late winter onwards.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common year-round warbler found in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens. Increasingly overwinters in Berkshire, visiting feeders during cold spells.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common and familiar garden resident throughout the year. Readily uses nest boxes and is a regular visitor to peanut and seed feeders.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of hedgerows, scrub and woodland edges. Its soft, piping call often betrays its presence before it is seen.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Now a common year-round resident after a dramatic recovery. Soars over Berkshire's farmland, downs and woodland throughout the county.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Abundant year-round on lakes, gravel pits and riverside meadows. Large flocks gather on playing fields and farmland, especially in late summer.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable resident, seen in virtually every habitat across Berkshire from town centres to farmland.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
A year-round resident of dense waterside vegetation, more often heard than seen with its explosive burst of song.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common and widespread resident of woodlands, hedgerows and gardens. Its cheerful song is a familiar sound across Berkshire year-round.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident found year-round in woodlands, parks and gardens. Its repetitive two-note song is one of the earliest signs of spring in Berkshire.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring coniferous and mixed woodland and regularly visiting garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Present year-round but most numerous in winter on playing fields and reservoirs. Often mixes with Black-headed Gull flocks.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Found year-round along the Thames and Kennet, this dazzling resident favours slow-moving stretches and sheltered riverbanks.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common year-round resident of Berkshire's farmland, woodland edges and hedgerows, largely sustained by ongoing releases for shooting.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Once absent, now a rare but increasing resident, its deep croaking calls heard over woodland and open country.
Year-round
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
A rare resident, unusual this far inland. Occasionally breeds at gravel pits and reservoirs, with most records outside the late summer moult period.
Oct–Aug
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Found in wet meadows and marshy edges of gravel pits, most conspicuous in winter when numbers increase. Absent during the peak summer months.
Jul–Apr
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident often seen in noisy flocks on playing fields and lawns. Winter roosts in Berkshire can number in the thousands.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on Berkshire's lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits. Often gathers in large flocks outside the breeding season.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare and declining resident of open arable farmland, now confined to a few sites in Berkshire. Its jangling song is heard from fence posts.
Oct–Jul
Dartford Warbler
Curruca undataNT
A rare resident of lowland heathland, found on sites in the south and east of the county. Vulnerable to harsh winters but slowly recovering.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common year-round resident of hedgerows, gardens and scrubby undergrowth. Its thin, high-pitched song is one of the first heard in late winter.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
Now common and well-established across Berkshire's parks, lakes and gravel pits. This naturalised African species has spread rapidly in recent decades.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A resident of suburban gardens and farmyards, present all year but less widespread than Woodpigeon. Its monotonous call is distinctive.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A colourful resident of Berkshire's oak woodlands, often seen burying acorns in autumn. Its harsh screech is a familiar woodland alarm.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A common resident of mature deciduous woodland and parkland, often seen spiralling headfirst down tree trunks. Readily visits garden feeders.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident favouring alder and birch along waterways. Numbers increase in winter with continental birds, and it readily visits garden feeders.
Sep–Jul
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
An uncommon resident of open farmland and downland, its song flight a feature of Berkshire's remaining arable fields.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
An uncommon resident, most numerous in winter on flooded meadows and gravel pits. Whistling flocks graze waterside grasslands along the Thames Valley.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of Berkshire's most abundant residents, found in virtually every habitat with low cover. Its remarkably loud song belies its tiny size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful year-round resident, frequently visiting garden feeders. Flocks gather on seed-rich wasteland and field edges in autumn.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Resident in parklands and open woodland, its loud 'yaffle' call is a familiar sound across Berkshire. Feeds mainly on ants.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common resident increasingly seen inland, frequenting Berkshire's landfill sites, reservoirs and supermarket car parks throughout the year.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
An ever-present and much-loved resident of gardens, woodlands and hedgerows. One of the most familiar birds in Berkshire year-round.
Year-round
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
A rare but year-round resident of mature conifer and mixed woodland. Its high-pitched call is often the best clue to its presence.
Aug–Jun
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
A common year-round resident on Berkshire's gravel pits and reservoirs. Often overlooked among Mallards but readily found at sites like Dinton Pastures.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Britain's smallest bird, common year-round in Berkshire's conifer and mixed woodlands. Numbers are boosted by continental arrivals in autumn.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common sight at Berkshire's gravel pits and along the Thames, often perched with wings outstretched to dry. Present all year.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A common resident on Berkshire's gravel pits, reservoirs and the Thames. Spectacular courtship displays begin in late winter.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident in Berkshire's woodlands and gardens, often heard drumming on trees in spring. Visits bird feeders year-round.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
One of Berkshire's most familiar garden birds, common year-round and a regular visitor to feeders across the county.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Found along Berkshire's watercress beds, streams and gravel pits almost year-round. Bobs distinctively when disturbed.
Jun–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
An uncommon resident of gardens and farmland edges, declining significantly due to trichomonosis disease. Still visits feeders across the county.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common year-round presence along the Thames, Kennet and gravel pit lakes, often seen standing motionless at the water's edge.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
A rare and declining resident of arable farmland in the county. Increasingly hard to find, with most records from the first half of the year.
Jan–Jun
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found along streams, rivers and weirs throughout the county. Its bright yellow underparts and bobbing tail are distinctive.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on gravel pits and reservoirs. Ancestor of domestic geese, with a growing feral population in the Thames Valley.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common resident closely associated with human habitation, nesting under eaves and in roof spaces. Numbers have declined but it remains widespread.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
An abundant resident found around churches, old buildings and farmland across Berkshire. Often seen in noisy, sociable flocks.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
An uncommon resident seen hovering over roadside verges and open farmland throughout the county year-round.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Present all year at reservoirs and landfill sites, though numbers peak in summer. Increasingly common inland across southern England.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
An uncommon resident of farmland, heathland and rough ground. Often forms sociable flocks outside the breeding season along field margins.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now resident year-round along Berkshire's rivers and gravel pits, having colonised the county in recent decades. Numbers are slowly increasing.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A resident of Berkshire's ponds, lakes and slow-moving rivers. Its distinctive whinnying trill carries across the water year-round.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common and endearing resident, often seen in noisy family flocks moving through hedgerows and woodland edges throughout the year.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
An abundant and bold resident found in gardens, hedgerows and farmland throughout the county all year.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
The most widespread duck in Berkshire, common on every lake, river and park pond throughout the year. Breeds readily along the Thames and its tributaries.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare but year-round resident favouring wooded rivers and lakes. The Thames Valley holds a notable population of this spectacular introduced species.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
An uncommon resident of mature deciduous woodland, best found at sites like Bowdown Woods and the Sulham valley.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
An uncommon resident of open grassland and heathland. More conspicuous in winter when birds gather on lowland fields and watermeadows.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident of parkland, playing fields and open woodland. Often sings from tall treetops even in midwinter.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Common and widespread along Berkshire's rivers, ponds and gravel pits year-round. Readily seen on the Thames and Kennet waterways.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A familiar sight on the Thames and Berkshire's lakes year-round. Breeds along rivers and gravel pits, often seen with cygnets in summer.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Present year-round but declining as a breeding bird. Winter flocks gather on Berkshire's farmland, boosted by continental arrivals.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
An uncommon resident, most conspicuous in winter when numbers are boosted by migrants. Favours shallow, muddy-edged pools at gravel pit complexes.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
A rare but increasing resident, occasionally seen hunting over towns and along the Thames valley throughout the year.
Jul–May
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon year-round resident on deeper gravel pits and reservoirs. Numbers have declined nationally, making Berkshire's wintering flocks increasingly notable.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Now a common and iconic sight soaring over Berkshire, thriving since reintroduction to the nearby Chilterns in the 1990s.
Year-round
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident on larger gravel pits. The striking males are eye-catching, though origins of some birds may be uncertain.
Mar–Jan
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An uncommon year-round resident of farmland and field margins. Often encountered in small coveys on the Berkshire Downs and surrounding arable land.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon resident of reedbeds, ditches and damp scrubby margins. In winter, disperses more widely to farmland stubble and garden feeders.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
A rare visitor to Berkshire's gravel pits and reservoir margins, mainly on passage in spring and autumn.
Mar–Sep
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Feral populations inhabit Berkshire's towns, though pure wild-type birds are uncommon. Nests on buildings and bridges year-round.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
An uncommon resident, with rookeries found in tall trees near farmland and villages across Berkshire.
Year-round
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
A noisy and conspicuous resident, now common across Berkshire's parks, gardens and woodland edges year-round.
Year-round
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensisLC
A rare resident, now extremely scarce following the national eradication programme. Occasional sightings persist at scattered gravel pit sites.
Aug–Apr
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident of gardens, parks and woodland, often heard singing from early spring. Numbers have declined nationally but it remains widespread here.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
A secretive resident of Berkshire's woodlands and suburban gardens, often betrayed by panicked alarm calls of smaller birds.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, nesting in tree holes in parkland and woodland. Quieter and less conspicuous than the ubiquitous Woodpigeon.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident favouring heathland and gorse scrub, particularly on sites in east Berkshire. Perches prominently while flicking its tail.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A resident of mature woodland and parkland, rarely seen but its distinctive hooting carries through Berkshire's woods after dark.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An uncommon resident of mature broadleaf and mixed woodland, spiralling up tree trunks in search of insects hidden in bark crevices.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
A common diving duck found year-round on gravel pits, reservoirs and deeper lakes. Numbers increase in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
A rare visitor to open downland and ploughed fields, mainly on spring and autumn passage. Bobs and flits across short turf in characteristic fashion.
Mar–Sep
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Abundant year-round resident, thriving in Berkshire's gardens, parks, and farmland. Numbers swell in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
A rare resident of arable farmland with thick hedgerows, declining significantly across the county. Its bright yellow head and jangling song are distinctive.
Year-round
Breeding
(22)
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
A common summer visitor from April to October, hawking insects over farmland, rivers and villages. Often nests in barns and outbuildings across the county.
Apr–Oct
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
A rare summer breeder favouring mature oak woodland with nest holes. The male's striking orange-red tail and black face make it unmistakable.
Apr–Sep
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in Phragmites reedbeds at sites along the Kennet valley and Theale gravel pits.
Apr–Sep
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon breeding visitor favouring stony riverbanks and reservoir edges. Bobs its tail constantly while foraging along the waterline.
Apr–Oct
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Arrives in late April to breed in Berkshire's towns, screaming over rooftops. Departs by September, spending winter entirely on the wing in Africa.
Apr–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon summer breeder at Berkshire's gravel pits and reservoirs from April to September. Nests on specially provided rafts.
Apr–Sep
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
An increasingly scarce summer visitor, arriving in April. Its distinctive call is heard less often in Berkshire as populations decline nationally.
Apr–Aug
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
An uncommon breeding visitor to Berkshire's gravel pits and river margins from February to August. Scarce inland but slowly expanding.
Feb–Aug
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
An uncommon summer breeder from April to August, favouring dense scrub and woodland with thick undergrowth. More often heard than seen.
Apr–Aug
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare breeding visitor to Berkshire's rough grasslands and scrubby margins from April to July. Best detected by its distinctive insect-like reeling song.
Apr–Jul
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
An elegant summer visitor breeding in Berkshire's heathlands and woodland edges from April to September. Hunts dragonflies and swallows on the wing.
Apr–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
An uncommon summer visitor nesting under eaves in towns and villages, present from April to October before migrating south.
Apr–Oct
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
A scarce summer breeder arriving in April, favouring tall hedgerows and scrubby woodland edges. Its rattling song is distinctive but easily overlooked.
Apr–Sep
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
A summer visitor breeding on bare gravel at extraction sites and reservoir margins. Arrives in April and departs by September.
Apr–Sep
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchosLC
An uncommon summer visitor arriving in April, favouring dense scrub and coppiced woodland. Best detected by its powerful song on warm spring evenings.
Apr–Jun
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
A rare breeding bird in Berkshire, found at a few wet grassland and gravel pit sites from March to August. Numbers are declining.
Mar–Aug
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
An uncommon summer breeder, nesting in sandy banks along rivers and gravel pits from March to September.
Mar–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, found in reedbeds and waterside scrub along the Kennet and at gravel pits.
Apr–Sep
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
An uncommon breeding visitor to hedgerows and scrubby farmland from April to September. Its scratchy, energetic song is a feature of rural lanes.
Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
An uncommon summer breeder found in scrubby woodland and heathland edges from March to September.
Mar–Sep
Woodlark
Lullula arboreaLC
A rare breeder on heathland sites in the south of the county, arriving from February. Its melodious, descending song carries far across open ground.
Feb–Oct
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
A rare and declining summer breeder, favouring damp meadows and arable fields near waterways. Spring males show a bright yellow face and underparts.
Apr–Oct
Non-breeding
(5)
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor from October to April, occasionally found in birch and alder woodland. Numbers vary greatly between winters.
Oct–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
An uncommon winter visitor from October to April, often seen alongside Redwings in open fields and berry-laden hedgerows across the county.
Oct–Apr
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, mainly in winter months. Occasionally seen at larger reservoirs and gravel pits among other gull flocks.
Oct–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, present from October to April. Feeds on berries in hedgerows and forages on open fields in flocks.
Oct–Apr
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
A secretive rail found at marshy sites like Woolhampton and Theale gravel pits, mainly in winter. More often heard squealing than seen.
Aug–Apr
Passage
(4)
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter and early spring visitor, sometimes joining Chaffinch flocks at woodland feeding stations. Numbers vary greatly between years.
Jan–Apr
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
A rare passage migrant seen briefly in spring and again in late summer. Look for it on shallow pools at sites like Theale or Woolhampton.
Apr–Sep
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
A rare spring passage visitor, occasionally noted over Berkshire's reservoirs and gravel pits in April. Dainty flight is distinctive.
Apr
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
A rare spring passage migrant, occasionally pausing on downland or open ground in April. Easily confused with Blackbird but note the pale breast crescent.
Apr