Birds in Cheshire
Explore 182 species found in this region.
Cheshire is a rewarding county for birdwatchers, supporting 178 recorded species across a rich mosaic of habitats including meres, mosses, farmland, estuaries, and woodland. The Dee Estuary and wetlands such as those at Woolston Eyes attract notable species like Great White Egret, Hen Harrier, and Goldeneye, while resident birds such as Cetti's Warbler and Linnet can be found year-round. From wintering wildfowl to summer visitors like the Common Swift, Cheshire offers excellent birding opportunities throughout the seasons.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Common Redstart arriving this month, and Eurasian Bittern and Eurasian Woodcock depart for the season.
Showing 93–115 of 182 species
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to open moorland and marshes from autumn through winter. Cheshire's lowland mosses provide important wintering habitat for this declining raptor.
Sep–Mar
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
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded in January on open coastal or stubble fields. A scarce and unpredictable find in Cheshire.
Jan
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
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common and sociable resident nesting under eaves and in hedges around towns and villages throughout Cheshire.
Year-round
Hudsonian Godwit
Limosa haemasticaVU
An extremely rare transatlantic vagrant, with occasional August records at Cheshire's wetlands. A prized find for local birders.
Aug
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up in February among gull flocks at reservoirs or along the coast. Identified by its pale wingtips and gentle expression.
Feb
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A rare but regular winter visitor to boggy margins and wet meadows. Secretive and easily flushed at close range.
Oct–Mar
Spotted something?
Upload a photo to identify it
Identify
Jackdaw
Coloeus 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
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
A rare passage visitor in late winter, this declining woodpecker is an increasingly difficult find in Cheshire's mature broadleaved woodlands.
Feb–Mar
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
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 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
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
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
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
A rare autumn passage migrant, occasionally found picking through mud at pools and scrapes from August to October.
May–Oct
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
A rare passage visitor in February, occasionally noted at woodland edges and dense scrub during late-winter movements through the Cheshire Plain.
Feb
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
A rare passage visitor in March and November, occasionally seen on larger meres and reservoirs during migration.
Nov–Mar
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