Birds to See in Cheshire in June
134 species matching this filter.
Cheshire in June is a vibrant time for birdwatching, with around 134 species recorded across the county's diverse habitats, from the Dee Estuary's mudflats to the meres, mosses and farmland of the Cheshire Plain. Summer visitors such as Common Swift and Cetti's Warbler are in full song, while wetland sites host breeding Grey Herons, Coots and occasional rarities like Great White Egret. The county's mix of coastal, freshwater and woodland habitats makes it a rewarding destination for birders throughout the month.
Resident
(99)
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
An uncommon visitor present from February to November, favouring the Dee Estuary marshes and nearby wetlands for feeding.
Feb–Nov
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare but cherished resident of Cheshire's farmland, hunting voles over rough grassland and nesting in purpose-built boxes on barns.
Year-round
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, mostly feral birds mixing with Canada Goose flocks on meres and parkland lakes year-round.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
An uncommon resident found year-round, favouring wet grasslands and estuarine habitats, particularly around the Dee Estuary.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
An abundant resident found in virtually every Cheshire garden, park and hedgerow, singing melodiously year-round.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common warbler found year-round, with breeding birds in woodland and continental visitors supplementing numbers at garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common and much-loved garden resident across Cheshire, readily visiting feeders year-round and nesting enthusiastically in nest boxes.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An unobtrusive resident of hedgerows and woodland edges, often betrayed by its soft, piping call. Declining nationally.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common resident soaring over farmland, woodland edges, and increasingly suburban areas. Has recovered strongly across Cheshire following historical persecution.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Common and conspicuous on lakes, meres and park ponds throughout the year. Large moulting flocks form in summer.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
One of Cheshire's most familiar birds, this adaptable resident thrives in every habitat from farmland and moorland edge to urban centres.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but expanding resident, more often heard than seen, its explosive song rings out from dense reedbed and waterside scrub.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common and widespread resident of woodland, hedgerows and gardens, with a cheerful descending song heard from late winter.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common warbler now present year-round in Cheshire, with overwintering birds increasingly noted in milder winters alongside spring arrivals.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
A common resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, readily visiting garden feeders. Its distinctive call is a familiar sound in Cheshire's forests.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon resident found on farmland, playing fields, and reservoirs throughout the year. Often mixes with larger gull flocks at winter roost sites.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Present year-round along Cheshire's rivers and meres, this dazzling resident is uncommon but regularly seen perched over clean waterways.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common resident of farmland, woodland edges and hedgerows throughout the county, largely sustained by game releases.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now regularly seen soaring over farmland and the eastern hills with its deep croaking call.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
An uncommon resident favouring birch and alder woodland, sometimes visiting garden feeders in winter flocks.
Sep–Jul
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Common year-round, breeding on the Dee and Mersey estuaries. Large moulting flocks gather in late summer.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident breeding on damp moorland and wet grassland. More widespread in winter across lowland marshes and meres.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common year-round resident, forming spectacular winter murmurations. Despite national declines, it remains a familiar sight on Cheshire's lawns and rooftops.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on meres, lakes and reservoirs across Cheshire, often forming large winter flocks.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
An uncommon year-round resident, breeding on upland pastures in the east and wintering on estuarine mudflats. Numbers are declining.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Found year-round on the Dee and Mersey estuaries, favouring mudflats and saltmarshes. Numbers peak in winter with visiting flocks from northern breeding grounds.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common resident of hedgerows, gardens and scrubby undergrowth, often heard singing its rapid warble year-round.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
A rare feral resident of African origin, found year-round on parkland lakes. The population is slowly spreading.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common resident in gardens, parks and farmyards throughout the county. Its monotonous three-note call is a familiar suburban sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A common resident of broadleaved woodland and mature gardens. Noisy and colourful, often seen burying acorns in Cheshire's parks during autumn.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A common resident of mature broadleaved woodland and parkland, steadily expanding its range in Cheshire. Its loud call echoes through the canopy.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
An uncommon resident, breeding on farmland and river shingle. Also frequents the Dee Estuary and Mersey coast year-round.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, often found in alder and birch woodland. Numbers increase in winter when Continental birds join local populations at garden feeders.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
An uncommon resident of open farmland and grassland, declining locally due to agricultural intensification on the Cheshire Plain.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
A scarce resident found locally around farmyards and rural hedgerows, much less widespread than its house-dwelling cousin.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Uncommon but present year-round, with numbers peaking in winter on the Dee Estuary and inland meres.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common and widespread resident, packing a remarkably powerful song into its tiny frame. Found in almost every Cheshire habitat with low cover.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, flocking on teasel and thistle heads in autumn and visiting garden feeders year-round.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A rare resident whose distinctive laughing call can occasionally be heard on parkland and pasture edges, scarcer here than further south.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round resident seen along the coast, at landfill sites, and increasingly in urban areas. Breeds on rooftops in Cheshire's towns.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A familiar and common resident of gardens, hedgerows and woodland, singing throughout the year across the county.
Year-round
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Common on meres and reservoirs year-round. Has increased significantly in Cheshire over recent decades.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A common resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, easily overlooked despite its high-pitched call. Numbers swell in autumn with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
An uncommon but imposing resident, mainly seen along the coast and at larger reservoirs. The largest British gull, often dominating other species at feeding sites.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common year-round resident, often seen perched with wings outstretched at meres, reservoirs, and along the River Dee. Roosts communally in large trees.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A common resident on Cheshire's meres, reservoirs, and larger lakes. Performs elaborate courtship displays in spring with its striking head plumes.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident of mature woodland, parks and gardens across Cheshire, its loud drumming is a familiar sound from late winter onwards.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common and confident garden visitor year-round. One of Cheshire's most familiar birds, thriving in woodland, parks, and suburban habitats.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An uncommon but increasingly established resident at wetlands and meres. Part of a dramatic recent colonisation of England, now seen year-round in Cheshire.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
An uncommon but near year-round visitor to muddy pools, ditches and sewage works. Often flushed singly from waterside cover.
Jun–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common year-round resident in gardens, parks, and hedgerows. Numbers have declined due to trichomonosis disease, though it remains a familiar sight.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common and familiar resident, seen year-round along rivers, meres, and garden ponds. Nests in heronries in tall trees, often returning to the same site annually.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
A rare and declining resident of Cheshire's arable farmland. Secretive and easily overlooked among crops and hedgerows.
Year-round
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
A rare visitor mainly found on the Dee Estuary and Mersey coast, with numbers peaking during autumn and winter passage.
Aug–Jun
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found along streams and rivers, bobbing its long tail on waterside rocks and weirs.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Common year-round on meres, lakes and farmland. Feral populations breed readily across Cheshire's lowland wetlands.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common and sociable resident nesting under eaves and in hedges around towns and villages throughout Cheshire.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in church towers, old buildings and tree cavities across Cheshire's towns and villages year-round.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, often seen hovering over roadside verges and farmland. Numbers have declined across Cheshire in recent decades.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common resident found across the county at reservoirs, farmland, and urban areas. Breeds locally and gathers in large roosts during winter months.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
An uncommon resident favouring weedy farmland, gorse-covered commons, and coastal scrub. Often forms sociable flocks outside the breeding season.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now regularly seen at meres, marshes and along the Dee Estuary after colonising in recent decades.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A common resident on ponds, canals, and meres throughout the county. Its distinctive whinnying trill is often the first clue to its presence among bankside vegetation.
Year-round
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A rare and declining resident of farmland with old trees and hedgerows. This introduced species is increasingly scarce across Cheshire and much of lowland England.
Jan–Oct
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common and sociable resident, roaming through hedgerows and woodland in noisy family parties. Easily recognised by its distinctive long tail.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A bold and abundant resident throughout Cheshire's towns, gardens and farmland, easily recognised by its striking black-and-white plumage.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Abundant and widespread on virtually any waterbody, from town park ponds to rural meres and the canal network.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
An uncommon resident favouring wooded lakes and rivers. Nests in tree holes along waterways in the eastern hills.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
An uncommon resident breeding on upland moorland edges in eastern Cheshire. More widespread in winter when birds move to lowland fields and wetlands.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident of parkland and open woodland, often singing boldly from treetops even in midwinter. Less garden-friendly than its thrush relatives.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident found on ponds, canals, and meres throughout the county. Readily seen in parks and gardens near water.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A common and familiar resident gracing canals, meres and rivers across the county throughout the year.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common resident of farmland and wetlands, with large winter flocks on the Cheshire Plain. Breeding numbers are declining.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon but elegant resident, most numerous in winter on the Dee Estuary marshes and nearby flooded fields.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Common on meres and shallow wetlands year-round. Numbers increase in winter as continental birds arrive.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, increasingly seen nesting on urban structures and hunting over estuaries and the wider Cheshire Plain.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon resident found on deeper meres and reservoirs. Numbers have declined nationally; winter flocks are small.
Year-round
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare visitor, occasionally seen on the Dee and Mersey estuaries. Most records fall between autumn and spring passage periods.
Feb–Dec
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
A rare resident found on arable farmland, mainly from introductions. Far less established here than in southern England.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon resident breeding on wet grassland and saltmarsh. Numbers swell in winter along the Dee and Mersey estuaries.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A common resident found year-round in reedbeds, marshes, and damp farmland ditches. Males are easily identified by their black head and white collar.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
A rare resident found on gravel shores and coastal margins. Breeds sparingly and more often seen on passage.
Feb–Dec
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Common year-round in towns and cities across Cheshire, with feral populations thriving around buildings and urban centres.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
An uncommon resident forming noisy rookeries in tall trees across Cheshire's farmland. Numbers have declined but colonies persist in rural areas.
Year-round
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
A rare resident on the edge of its expanding range, small numbers persist in suburban areas, far less established than in south-east England.
Year-round
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensisLC
A rare resident, now heavily reduced by national eradication efforts. Small numbers may persist on Cheshire's meres and pools.
Year-round
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
An uncommon resident of Cheshire's marshes and wet grasslands. Numbers peak on autumn passage at sites like Frodsham.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident heard singing from gardens, parks and woodland across the county, often among the first to nest in spring.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, dashing through gardens and woodland in pursuit of small birds across the county year-round.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common resident breeding in mature trees across farmland and parkland. Often overlooked alongside the more familiar Woodpigeon.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident of heathland and gorse-covered areas, perching prominently and flicking its tail year-round.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A scarce resident of mature woodland and parkland, more often heard than seen. Its familiar hooting call carries across Cheshire's wooded valleys year-round.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An unobtrusive resident of mature woodland, spiralling up tree trunks in search of insects throughout the year.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Common year-round on meres, reservoirs and park lakes. Breeds across the county and numbers swell in winter.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of reedbeds and marshy wetlands. More often heard squealing than seen at sites like Woolston Eyes.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, increasingly breeding at Cheshire's wetland reserves and quartering reedbeds with its distinctive tilting flight.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident seen in virtually every habitat from town centres to deep woodland. Large autumn flocks gather on arable fields across the plain.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare visitor found near reservoirs and the Dee Estuary, present most months but easily overlooked among commoner large gulls.
Jun–Apr
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Now rare in Cheshire, reflecting steep national declines linked to farmland habitat loss. Favours hedgerow-rich arable margins where still present.
Oct–Aug
Breeding
(31)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare visitor to the Dee Estuary and coastal marshes, mainly on passage from March to October.
Mar–Oct
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
A common summer visitor from March to October, nesting in barns and outbuildings across Cheshire's farmland. A welcome herald of spring.
Mar–Oct
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
A rare breeding visitor to Cheshire's meres, present from March to September. One of the county's scarcest nesting waterbirds, favouring sheltered, vegetated pools.
Mar–Sep
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly recorded breeder, reflecting a recent northward expansion across England. Favours damp pastures alongside livestock from spring to autumn.
Mar–Nov
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
A rare summer breeder found mainly in oak woodlands along Cheshire's eastern fringes, arriving from April.
Apr–Aug
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
An uncommon summer breeder found in reedbeds around Cheshire's meres and wetlands from April to September. Its chattering song reveals its presence.
Apr–Sep
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon summer breeder from April to October, bobbing along stony river edges and reservoir shorelines.
Apr–Oct
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
A common summer breeder screaming over Cheshire's towns and villages from late April to August. Nests in older buildings.
Apr–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon breeding visitor arriving in April, nesting on rafts and islands at meres and reservoirs. Departs by late August after raising young.
Apr–Aug
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare breeding visitor present only from May to July, clinging on in scattered arable areas. One of Cheshire's most threatened farmland birds.
May–Jul
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
A rare summer breeder arriving in April, its distinctive call heard around reedbeds and woodland edges. Declining across the region.
Apr–Jul
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare breeding visitor, part of a recent colonisation of England. Favours shallow wetlands and meres, present from spring through early autumn.
Feb–Sep
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
An uncommon summer breeder skulking in dense undergrowth and woodland edges. Present from April to August, more often heard than seen.
Apr–Aug
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
A rare summer visitor and scarce breeder, arriving in spring at shallow wetlands and pools on the Cheshire plain.
Mar–Sep
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare and secretive summer breeder, arriving in April. Its insect-like reeling song drifts from dense scrub and rough grassland on warm evenings.
Apr–Jul
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
A rare visitor from April to October, passing through on migration and favouring shallow pools and reservoir edges.
Apr–Oct
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
A dashing summer visitor from May to September, hunting dragonflies over Cheshire's meres and mosses. Breeds in small numbers locally.
May–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A common summer breeder nesting under eaves in towns and villages, arriving in April and lingering into October before heading south.
Apr–Oct
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
A rare summer breeder in tall hedgerows and scrubby thickets. Its rattling song is heard from April, but it remains a scarce find in Cheshire.
Apr–Aug
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
An uncommon summer breeder from March to September, nesting on gravel pits and reservoir margins across the county.
Mar–Sep
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
A rare breeding visitor, part of the species' ongoing recovery; occasionally seen soaring over farmland and woodland from spring to summer.
Mar–Aug
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in sandy riverbanks, arriving from March and gathering in flocks over meres before autumn departure.
Mar–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, favouring reedbeds and waterside scrub around Cheshire's meres and wetland reserves.
Apr–Sep
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
A rare and declining summer breeder, arriving in May to nest in mature woodland edges and parkland across the county.
May–Sep
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
A rare visitor to Cheshire's marshes and estuaries, most likely on passage. Elegant dark plumage in summer aids identification.
Feb–Oct
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
A rare summer breeder found on wooded heathland and woodland clearings in the east, delivering its song in parachuting display flights.
Apr–Sep
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
An uncommon summer breeder on upland pastures and moorland fringes, also seen on passage across lowland fields.
Mar–Sep
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
A common summer visitor breeding in hedgerows and bramble patches across Cheshire's farmland. Its scratchy song is a feature of country lanes.
Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
An uncommon summer breeder favouring scrubby woodland edges and hedgerows. Its gentle descending song is heard from March through to departure in September.
Mar–Sep
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
A rare summer visitor from May to September, occasionally found at marshy pools and flooded fields on passage.
May–Sep
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
An uncommon summer breeder favouring lowland pastures and arable fields, arriving in April and departing by September.
Apr–Sep
Non-breeding
(1)
Passage
(3)
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally spotted at reservoirs and meres during spring migration. Most likely in March and April among flocks of Black-headed Gulls.
Mar–Jun
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
A rare passage migrant in spring and late summer, sometimes stopping at reservoir margins and coastal mudflats.
May–Sep
Woodchat Shrike
Lanius senatorNT
A rare overshooting migrant from southern Europe, recorded very occasionally in June — a genuine Cheshire rarity when it appears.
Jun