Birds to See in Cambridgeshire in January
120 species matching this filter.
Cambridgeshire supports a rich diversity of birdlife in January, with around 120 species recorded across the county's fenlands, wetlands, and farmland habitats. The expansive reserves of the Ouse Washes and Nene Washes attract impressive winter gatherings of wildfowl such as Common Shelduck, Common Merganser, and the increasingly established Common Crane, while Barn Owls hunt over the open fields at dusk. Woodlands and gardens also come alive with resident species like Great Tit, Magpie, and flocks of Common Starling performing spectacular murmurations at roost sites.
New in January1
Leaving after last month4
Resident
(97)
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A scarce but charismatic resident of Fenland farmland, hunting voles along ditches and field margins at dusk and dawn.
Year-round
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, with records likely involving feral birds. Occasionally appears on gravel pits and fenland washes alongside other goose species.
Aug–May
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
A rare resident confined to extensive reedbeds at sites like Wicken Fen and the Ouse Washes. More often heard than seen, with a distinctive pinging call.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Present year-round on the Ouse Washes and surrounding wet grasslands, an important site for this uncommon species nationally.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
An abundant year-round resident found in virtually every garden, park, and hedgerow. Winter numbers are boosted by Continental arrivals.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common resident found in woodland, hedgerows, and gardens throughout the county. Some overwinter, supplemented by continental birds visiting berry-laden shrubs.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
One of the county's most abundant and familiar garden birds, present year-round at feeders, in hedgerows, and in woodland.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring thick hedgerows, scrubby woodland edges and orchards. Its soft piping call often betrays its presence.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Now the county's commonest raptor, regularly seen perched on fence posts or soaring over arable fields throughout the year.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common and conspicuous resident of gravel pits, park lakes and river corridors throughout the county. Breeds readily in urban and rural settings.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Abundant year-round across farmland, towns, and villages. One of the county's most familiar and adaptable birds.
Year-round
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly established resident, often found near livestock in Fenland pastures. A recent arrival to the county.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but increasing resident of dense waterside scrub and reedbeds. Its explosive song bursts from cover at sites like Wicken Fen year-round.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common resident of hedgerows, gardens and woodland throughout the county. Winter flocks are often boosted by Continental migrants.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident whose distinctive two-note song is heard in woodlands and gardens year-round. Increasingly overwinters in Cambridgeshire's milder conditions.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident preferring coniferous and mixed woodland. Less widespread than Blue or Great Tit in this largely lowland arable county.
Year-round
Common Crane
Grus grusLC
A rare but increasing resident, part of the recolonisation of eastern England. Occasionally seen over Fenland landscapes.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, frequenting playing fields, reservoirs and farmland, often mixed in with other gulls.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Found year-round along the county's rivers, lodes, and drainage channels. A flash of electric blue along the Cam or Great Ouse.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Abundant and widespread across farmland, hedgerows, and woodland edges year-round, sustained by regular releases.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
A rare but increasing resident, part of the species' recent eastward spread into the lowlands of Cambridgeshire.
Year-round
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon resident breeding around gravel pits and fenland washes. More conspicuous in spring when pairs display along waterway margins.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Resident in wet meadows and reedbeds year-round, more conspicuous in winter when 'drumming' display is absent.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident that gathers in large winter roosts across the county. Numbers have declined nationally but it remains widespread here.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common year-round resident on lakes, gravel pits and the Fens, often forming large winter flocks on open water.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
An uncommon but characteristic resident of open arable farmland, delivering its jangling song from fence posts and wires.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Present year-round but rare, found on muddy scrapes and washland edges, with numbers peaking during passage periods.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and unobtrusive resident of hedgerows and garden undergrowth, present year-round with a thin, warbling song.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now breeding on gravel pits and park lakes. This naturalised African species is spreading steadily across the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
A secretive resident of Fenland reedbeds, most often detected by its deep booming call in spring. A prized county speciality.
Mar–Jan
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A familiar resident of gardens, farms, and villages across the county, with its monotonous three-note call heard year-round.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of broadleaved woodland and mature gardens. Less numerous here than in western counties.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A rare resident slowly expanding its range into Cambridgeshire's mature broadleaved woodlands. Loud calls betray its presence at favoured parkland sites.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common resident of the county's arable farmland and open fenland, singing in hovering flight year-round. Numbers have declined but it remains widespread.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Present year-round but most conspicuous in winter when numbers swell on the Ouse Washes and flooded fenland fields.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common resident found year-round in hedgerows, gardens, and fen edges, delivering a remarkably loud song for its tiny size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, readily visiting garden feeders. Flocks gather on waste ground and field margins to feed on thistles and teasels.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Resident in parkland and woodland edges, often heard giving its loud, laughing call. Feeds on ants in short grassland.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round resident found at landfill sites, reservoirs and urban areas, with numbers swelling in winter.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
One of the most familiar garden birds, present year-round and among the first to sing at dawn across Cambridgeshire.
Year-round
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
A common resident on lakes and reservoirs, often overlooked among Mallards. Breeds at several Fenland wetland sites.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
An uncommon resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, often hard to spot despite its high-pitched call. Numbers swell with continental arrivals in autumn.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
An uncommon but year-round presence, often seen at landfill sites and reservoirs, dwarfing other gulls in mixed flocks.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Common and widespread year-round on rivers, lakes, and gravel pits, often seen perched with wings outstretched to dry.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A familiar resident on lakes, reservoirs, and gravel pits across the county, performing elaborate courtship displays in spring.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident of woodlands, parks, and mature gardens. Its loud drumming is a familiar spring sound across the county.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common and familiar garden resident throughout Cambridgeshire. Visits feeders readily and nests in holes in trees and nest boxes across the county.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Now resident year-round, increasingly seen at Fen wetlands and flooded fields. A recent colonist whose numbers continue to grow.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Found along ditches, watercress beds, and flooded fields almost year-round, often flushing with a distinctive call.
Jun–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common resident of gardens and hedgerows, though numbers have declined sharply due to disease in recent years.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common and familiar resident, seen year-round along rivers, ditches, and lakes throughout the county.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
A declining farmland resident, now rare across the county's arable fields. Benefits from agri-environment schemes where present.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found along rivers and streams, bobbing its long tail on weirs and bridges throughout the county.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
A common resident breeding on gravel pits, lakes and fenland waterways. Large flocks gather on the Ouse Washes and flooded fields in winter.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common year-round resident closely tied to human habitation, nesting in roof spaces and hedges across towns and villages.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in church towers and old buildings. Often seen in noisy flocks over towns and villages.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A familiar year-round resident, commonly seen hovering over roadside verges and arable fields across the flat Fenland landscape.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common resident found year-round at landfill sites, playing fields and gravel pits, with peak numbers in summer.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of farmland and rough ground, often forming large winter flocks on stubble fields across the Fens.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident at wetlands, ditches, and flooded fields across the Fens, having colonised the county since the 2000s.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A common year-round resident on ponds, ditches and slow rivers, its whinnying trill a familiar sound across the Fens.
Year-round
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A scarce resident of old farmland with pollarded willows and barns. Declining across the county and increasingly hard to find.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common resident often seen in lively, acrobatic flocks moving through hedgerows and woodland edges. Family groups roam widely outside the breeding season.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident of gardens, hedgerows, and farmland across the county. Easily recognised by its bold black-and-white plumage and long tail.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Abundant on virtually every waterway, lake, and park pond across the county throughout the year.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare resident of wooded waterways and park lakes, most often recorded in winter and spring. This striking East Asian species nests in tree holes.
Dec–May
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
A scarce and declining resident of mature deciduous woodland. Hayley Wood and similar ancient sites remain key locations.
Jun–Apr
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on rough grassland, marshes and fen edges. Numbers increase in winter when birds from further north arrive.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident often heard singing from tall trees in parkland and churchyards, sometimes as early as January.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Common on ponds, ditches, and waterways throughout the county. Often seen picking its way along muddy margins.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A common and elegant resident gracing the Cam, Ouse and fenland waterways year-round. Pairs nest along rivers, lakes and gravel pits across the county.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common resident of farmland and wet grassland year-round, though breeding numbers have declined significantly across the fens.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An elegant dabbling duck found on the Ouse Washes and flooded fields, mainly in winter. Largely absent in midsummer.
Aug–May
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Common year-round on the Ouse Washes and gravel pits, using its distinctive spatulate bill to filter shallow waters.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
A rare but year-round resident, occasionally seen hunting over Cambridge and Ely. Has benefited from urban nesting sites on cathedrals and tall buildings.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Present year-round on gravel pits and reservoirs but declining nationally. Winter flocks can gather on larger waterbodies.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
An increasingly familiar sight soaring over farmland and motorways. Part of the species' ongoing recolonisation of eastern England.
Year-round
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, favouring gravel pits and larger lakes. Part of a growing feral population in England.
Apr–Feb
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An introduced resident found on arable farmland and field margins year-round, sustained partly by game releases.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon year-round resident breeding on wet grasslands and washlands, with numbers boosted by wintering birds.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A common resident of reedbeds, ditches, and fenland margins, well suited to Cambridgeshire's extensive wetland habitats.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Feral pigeons are abundant in Cambridge and other towns year-round, nesting on buildings and bridges.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common resident forming noisy rookeries in tall trees across the county's farmland. Large flocks forage in ploughed fields throughout the year.
Year-round
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
Scarce year-round on the Ouse Washes and fenland scrapes, once bred here but now mainly a passage and winter visitor.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident breeding in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland. Its melodious, repetitive song is a hallmark of spring.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
A year-round resident, often glimpsed dashing through gardens and along hedgerows. Breeds in woodland edges across the county.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common resident nesting in tree holes across farmland and parkland, often seen in fast, direct flight over fields.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident favouring rough grassland, heathland fringes, and fen edges. More often seen in winter months.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A scarce resident of mature woodland and parkland. Its hooting call is heard in areas like Wandlebury and the Brampton Woods.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of mature woodland, spiralling up tree trunks in search of insects. Quiet and easily overlooked.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Common year-round on gravel pits, reservoirs, and park lakes. Breeds readily and winter numbers are boosted by continental birds.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
A secretive resident of reedbeds and marshy ditches, more often heard squealing than seen. Present year-round.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Resident in the Fens, quartering over reedbeds and marshes year-round. The Ouse and Nene Washes are key strongholds.
Year-round
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
An uncommon year-round presence, with the Ouse Washes hosting a notable wintering herd. Some birds linger through summer at fenland wetland sites.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found in gardens, farmland, and woodland throughout the county. One of the most familiar birds in the region.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
Uncommon but present year-round, often mixed in with other large gulls at landfill sites, reservoirs, and gravel pits.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon resident of farmland hedgerows and field margins, singing its distinctive 'little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese' song. Numbers have declined across the county.
Year-round
Non-breeding
(20)
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor from Scandinavia, sometimes joining chaffinch flocks on farmland and beneath beech trees.
Oct–Mar
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to larger water bodies in winter months, most likely at Grafham Water or gravel pits.
Nov–Mar
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare winter visitor to larger rivers and reservoirs, occasionally seen in small parties from November to April.
Nov–Apr
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor from autumn to early spring, associating with birch and alder stands. Often found in mixed flocks with Lesser Redpolls.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor from autumn to spring, favouring alder and birch along river corridors. Often detected by its tinkling flight call.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor from November to March, skulking in damp woodland and hedgerows, most often flushed unexpectedly.
Nov–Mar
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
A common winter thrush arriving from October, often seen in noisy flocks feeding on berries and ploughed farmland.
Oct–Apr
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Winters in flocks on ploughed fenland fields, often alongside lapwings. Absent during the summer breeding months.
Aug–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Winters on gravel pits and reservoirs, with small numbers present from autumn to spring. Males show striking white plumage.
Aug–Apr
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare winter visitor to larger waterbodies, sometimes found among Tufted Duck flocks from November to March.
Nov–Mar
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
A rare winter visitor from December to March, occasionally joining feral goose flocks on flooded fenland fields and the Ouse Washes.
Dec–Mar
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare winter visitor to the open Fenland landscape, occasionally seen hunting low over stubble fields and marshes.
Nov–Mar
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
A rare and secretive winter visitor, occasionally found roosting in dense scrub or conifer plantations during the coldest months.
Nov–Feb
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare winter visitor from northern breeding grounds, occasionally spotted dashing low over open Fenland fields and marshes.
Nov–Feb
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, mainly seen from September to February. Skeins sometimes pass over the Fens en route to traditional wintering grounds.
Sep–Feb
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving from October and foraging in hedgerows and open fields across the Fens.
Sep–Apr
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
A rare winter visitor to open Fenland, hunting over rough grassland and marshes. Occasionally lingers into early spring.
Nov–Apr
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
A scarce but eagerly sought winter visitor, favouring gravel pits and reservoirs from December to March.
Dec–Mar
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
A rare winter visitor from November to February, occasionally appearing on the Ouse Washes and flooded fenland fields alongside Whooper Swans.
Nov–Feb
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
A rare winter visitor from November to March, favouring watercress beds and marshy margins. Most records come from the Ouse Washes and similar wetland sites.
Nov–Mar
Passage
(3)
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
A rare winter gull, occasionally found among flocks at landfill sites and reservoirs in January and February.
Jan–Feb
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
A rare midwinter visitor, occasionally seen on larger waterbodies. Far less frequent inland than Goosander.
Dec–Jan
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
A rare passage visitor recorded in midwinter, occasionally appearing on flooded fenland fields among other wild goose flocks.
Dec–Jan