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 116–138 of 181 species
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
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare winter visitor from northern breeding grounds, occasionally spotted dashing low over open Fenland fields and marshes.
Nov–Feb
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
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschataLC
A rare record almost certainly involving an escaped or feral bird. This domesticated species is not established in the wild in Cambridgeshire.
Aug
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
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchosLC
A rare summer breeder arriving in April, favouring dense scrub and coppice. Cambridgeshire lies at the edge of its UK range.
Apr–Jun
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
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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
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
A rare but regular autumn passage migrant, seen fishing at gravel pits and reservoirs in August and September.
Aug–Sep
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotosLC
A rare Nearctic vagrant recorded in September and October at muddy reservoir edges and flooded fenland pools.
Sep–Oct
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
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
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 Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare autumn passage visitor in September, occasionally stopping at inland reservoirs and washland pools.
Sep
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurioLC
A very rare passage migrant, occasionally turning up on scrubby heathland or hedgerows in late spring or early summer.
Jun
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
A rare midwinter visitor, occasionally seen on larger waterbodies. Far less frequent inland than Goosander.
Dec–Jan
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
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up on gravel pits and reservoirs in December during cold weather movements.
Dec
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon year-round resident breeding on wet grasslands and washlands, with numbers boosted by wintering birds.
Year-round