Birds in Cambridgeshire
Explore 181 species found in this region.
Cambridgeshire is home to a remarkable diversity of birdlife, with 177 species recorded across the county's varied landscapes of fenland, river valleys, farmland, and wetland reserves. The region's low-lying wetlands attract impressive numbers of wildfowl and waders, including Pink-footed Goose, Northern Pintail, and Northern Lapwing, while woodlands and hedgerows support resident species such as Great Tit and Magpie. Notable sites like the Ouse Washes and Wicken Fen make Cambridgeshire one of eastern England's premier birdwatching destinations.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Bar-tailed Godwit arriving this month, and Brambling and Common Loon depart for the season.
Showing 93–115 of 181 species
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Falco subbuteoLC
A graceful summer visitor, arriving in April and hunting dragonflies over Fenland waterways and gravel pits until autumn.
Apr–Oct
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A common summer breeder nesting under the eaves of buildings in towns and villages. Gathers in flocks before departing by October.
Apr–Oct
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
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
A rare winter gull, occasionally found among flocks at landfill sites and reservoirs in January and February.
Jan–Feb
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A rare and secretive autumn passage visitor, occasionally flushed from marshy margins in October.
Oct
Jackdaw
Coloeus 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
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Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in tall, dense hedgerows across the county. Its brief rattling song is a characteristic sound of the Cambridgeshire countryside.
Apr–Sep
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipesVU
A rare Nearctic vagrant, occasionally recorded at fenland pools in September. A notable find for county birders.
Sep
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 Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
A rare spring passage visitor in April, sometimes seen dipping gracefully over gravel pits and reservoirs.
Apr
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
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
An uncommon summer breeder from March to September, favouring gravel pits, reservoir margins and bare ground near water.
Mar–Sep
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
A rare autumn passage migrant, occasionally found picking along muddy edges of fenland scrapes in September and October.
Sep–Oct
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
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