Common Birds in England
113 species matching this filter.
England is home to 113 commonly occurring bird species, found across a rich variety of habitats from coastal estuaries and wetlands to ancient woodlands and urban gardens. Familiar favourites such as the Great Tit, Magpie, and Common Starling thrive alongside waterbirds like the Common Shelduck and Common Merganser. Whether you're exploring the countryside or watching from your kitchen window, our guide to 23 Common Garden Birds in the UK (Full Guide with Pictures) is a great place to start identifying the species you're most likely to encounter.
Showing 24–46 of 113 species
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
A common resident of wet meadows, bogs and marshes throughout England. Its distinctive drumming display flight is a characteristic sound of spring.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common and familiar resident, though numbers have declined significantly. Winter murmurations over towns and reedbeds remain a spectacular sight.
Year-round
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
A common summer breeder, screaming over towns and cities from May to August. Numbers have declined significantly, prompting conservation concern.
Apr–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
A common breeding visitor to coastal colonies and inland gravel pits from spring to early autumn. Plunge-dives for small fish.
Mar–Oct
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident of lakes, reservoirs, and park ponds across England. Often gathers in large winter flocks on open water.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common resident breeding on upland moors and farmland. Winters in large flocks on estuaries and coastal marshes across England.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
A common wader present year-round, with huge winter flocks on estuaries. Small numbers breed on upland moors in northern England.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland undergrowth. Often overlooked, it shuffles quietly beneath bird feeders.
Year-round
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Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An established non-native resident, originally from Africa, now breeding widely across England. Commonly seen on park lakes and grassy riverbanks, often with large broods.
Year-round
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
A year-round resident along northern and eastern coasts, favouring rocky shores and sheltered estuaries. Males sport striking black-and-white plumage.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common year-round resident of gardens, farms, and urban areas. Its monotonous three-syllable call is a familiar sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A colourful resident of broadleaved and mixed woodland, commonly visiting garden feeders. Buries thousands of acorns each autumn, aiding oak regeneration.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A common resident of mature deciduous woodland and parkland, readily visiting garden feeders. Absent from northern Scotland but widespread across England.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A common resident of coasts, estuaries, and increasingly inland fields. Its piping call is a familiar sound on English shores.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
A common resident that breeds in conifer woodlands and visits garden feeders in winter. Flocks are often detected by their tinkling flight calls.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common but declining resident of farmland and open grassland, celebrated for its soaring song flight over fields across England.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
A common but declining resident, now largely restricted to farmland in the Midlands and eastern England. Often found near hedgerows and farms.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Common year-round, with large winter flocks on estuaries and flooded grasslands. The male's whistling call is a characteristic sound of English wetlands in winter.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of England's most abundant birds, found in virtually every habitat with low cover. Its remarkably loud song belies its tiny size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful year-round resident of gardens, parks, and farmland edges. Often seen in flocks feeding on seed heads.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A common resident of woodlands, parklands and gardens, easily recognised by its loud, laughing call and undulating flight.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round resident found along coasts, at landfill sites and increasingly in urban areas. Numbers have declined significantly in recent decades.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
One of England's most familiar and beloved garden birds, present year-round. Sings throughout winter and fiercely defends territories in hedgerows, parks, and woodlands.
Year-round