Birds to See in Cornwall in February
136 species matching this filter.
Cornwall in February offers rewarding birdwatching opportunities, with around 136 species recorded across the county's diverse coastal, estuarine and inland habitats. Winter visitors such as Fieldfare and Eurasian Woodcock can still be found in hedgerows and woodland, while the sheltered estuaries of the Fal, Camel and Tamar attract waders like Common Sandpiper and Greenshank alongside wildfowl including Common Shelduck and Common Merganser. As the month progresses, early signs of spring begin to stir, making it an exciting transitional period for birders exploring this south-western peninsula.
New in February4
Leaving after last month5
Resident
(104)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Frequents sandy estuaries such as the Camel and Hayle throughout the year, probing tidal flats with its distinctive upturned bill.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Uncommon but present year-round, favouring estuarine mudflats at sites like the Hayle Estuary and Camel Estuary.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
One of Cornwall's most abundant residents, thriving in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland. Numbers increase in autumn with continental migrants.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Common year-round in woodland and gardens. Summer breeders are joined by continental wintering birds that readily take fruit from feeders.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common and familiar resident of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland throughout Cornwall. Readily visits feeders year-round.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring dense hedgerows, orchards, and woodland edges. Often heard before seen.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common year-round resident, frequently seen soaring over farmland, moorland and coastal cliffs. One of Cornwall's most visible raptors.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on lakes, reservoirs and estuaries. Less numerous here than in many English counties.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common year-round resident found across all habitats from farmland to coastline. One of Cornwall's most familiar and adaptable birds.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
A resident skulker in dense wetland vegetation, more often heard than seen. Has expanded its range in Cornwall thanks to milder winters.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common resident of woodland, hedgerows, and gardens. Autumn flocks are boosted by continental migrants arriving along the coast.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident found year-round in gardens, woodland, and scrub. Cornwall's mild climate supports overwintering birds, including continental migrants.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident of coniferous and mixed woodland. Often visits garden feeders in winter, recognised by its distinctive white nape stripe.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon resident found year-round on estuaries, farmland, and playing fields. Smaller and more delicate than the abundant Herring Gull.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon resident along sheltered creeks, estuaries and rivers. Most reliably seen on the Helford, Fal and Camel estuaries.
Jun–Mar
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
An uncommon but regular presence in Cornish waters, favouring sheltered bays such as Mount's Bay. Absent during midsummer months.
Oct–Jun
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Found year-round in farmland and woodland edges, though less abundant here than in many English counties.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, often seen tumbling acrobatically along sea cliffs and over moorland. Its deep croaking call is distinctive.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare resident, occasionally seen in birch and alder woodland. Most likely encountered during autumn and winter influxes.
Oct–Jun
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Found along rocky streams, reservoirs, and sheltered estuaries almost year-round, bobbing characteristically at the water's edge.
Jul–May
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Dark sea ducks seen in rafts offshore, particularly around Mount's Bay and St Ives. Scarce but present most of the year.
Jul–Apr
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon but distinctive resident of sandy estuaries and mudflats. Breeds in burrows near the coast and gathers in moulting flocks.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A familiar resident in towns and farmland, though declining nationally. Winter flocks swell with continental arrivals along the Cornish coast.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Resident on freshwater lakes and reservoirs, often seen at Stithians and Drift, though less numerous than Moorhen.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A year-round resident of Cornish estuaries and farmland, its evocative bubbling call is a familiar sound on moorland and coastal marshes.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Present year-round on estuarine mudflats, numbers swell in winter when birds from northern breeding grounds arrive.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident, found year-round in hedgerows, gardens, and scrubby undergrowth across the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A familiar garden and farmyard bird throughout Cornwall, its monotonous three-note call heard in every season.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of mature woodland and well-treed gardens. Less numerous here than in much of southern England.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident of mature deciduous woodland. Sedentary by nature, it favours oak-rich valleys across Cornwall.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A familiar sight on rocky shores and estuaries year-round, its striking black-and-white plumage and piping call unmistakable.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, frequenting alder and birch trees. Numbers increase in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Resident on farmland and coastal clifftops, singing in flight year-round. Numbers have declined but it remains a characteristic voice of open country.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Winters on estuaries like the Camel and Fal, with flocks grazing coastal fields. Absent in midsummer, returning from September.
Sep–May
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common resident found year-round in hedgerows, coastal scrub, and gardens. Its remarkably loud song echoes along Cornwall's sheltered valleys.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A familiar year-round resident, commonly seen in gardens, hedgerows, and on seed heads along coastal paths throughout Cornwall.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A scarce resident, favouring parkland and woodland edges. Its loud, laughing call carries across Cornish valleys.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
An iconic and abundant resident of Cornish towns, harbours, and cliffs. Nests on rooftops and sea cliffs throughout the county.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A beloved year-round resident, abundant in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland. Sings throughout winter in Cornwall's mild climate.
Year-round
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelisLC
A common resident of rocky coasts and harbours, nesting on sea cliffs. Distinguished from Cormorant by its smaller size and green sheen.
Year-round
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
Resident year-round in sheltered woodland and gardens. Cornwall is a stronghold, with numbers boosted by continental arrivals in autumn.
Year-round
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
An uncommon resident breeding on dramatic Cornish sea cliffs. Numbers have declined in recent years.
Year-round
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
A scarce year-round resident, favouring freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Loe Pool and other sheltered waters are reliable sites.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A tiny resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, present year-round. Numbers swell in autumn with continental immigrants arriving on the coast.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
A common and imposing resident along rocky coasts and harbours. The largest gull in Cornwall, often seen dominating other species.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common year-round resident, frequently seen drying its wings on harbour walls and rocky outcrops.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
An uncommon year-round resident on larger reservoirs and estuaries. Its elaborate courtship display can be seen in spring.
Year-round
Great Skua
Catharacta skuaLC
A powerful seabird seen from Cornish headlands most of the year, often pursuing other birds to steal their catch.
Jun–Apr
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
An uncommon resident of mature woodland and wooded valleys. Its drumming is heard in spring across Cornish estates.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common year-round garden and woodland resident. Its bold two-note song is one of the earliest heard in Cornish hedgerows each spring.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
A rare but increasingly recorded visitor to Cornish wetlands, present mainly from autumn through spring.
Sep–May
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A scarce but regular visitor to freshwater pools and ditches, most often seen singly at sites like Marazion Marsh.
Jul–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common resident of gardens, hedgerows, and farmland throughout the year, though numbers have declined due to disease.
Year-round
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
An uncommon but regular wader on Cornish estuaries, present most months and often seen feeding on tidal creeks.
Jul–May
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common year-round resident, often seen stalking fish along Cornwall's estuaries, rivers, and rocky shorelines.
Year-round
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Feeds on muddy estuaries and beaches outside summer, its silvery plumage and black 'armpits' distinctive in flight.
Sep–May
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident along streams and rivers, bobbing its long tail on rocks. Also visits farmyards and coastal areas in winter.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
A scarce year-round resident, with a mix of feral and genuinely wild birds found on estuaries, lakes and farmland.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common resident closely tied to towns and villages. Nests in buildings and hedges, often seen in noisy, sociable groups.
Year-round
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
A rare but annual winter visitor, typically found among large gull roosts at reservoirs and coastal harbours.
Nov–May
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, abundant around towns, villages and coastal cliffs. Often nests in old buildings and church towers across Cornwall.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, often seen hovering over roadside verges and coastal clifftops.
Year-round
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Breeds on Cornish sea cliffs and is present year-round, though numbers have declined sharply in recent years.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common resident breeding on rooftops and coastal cliffs. Numbers swell in summer, with birds frequenting harbours and farmland.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of gorse-clad clifftops, heathland, and farmland. Often seen in sizeable flocks outside the breeding season.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident on estuaries and creeks throughout Cornwall. Numbers have increased dramatically since colonising in the 1990s.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident on sheltered ponds, reservoirs, and slow-moving rivers. Its whinnying call is distinctive.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Resident year-round, often seen in noisy family flocks moving through hedgerows and woodland. Distinctive long tail makes it easy to identify.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident found in gardens, farmland and hedgerows throughout the county. Easily recognised by its bold black-and-white plumage.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
The commonest duck in Cornwall, found year-round on rivers, estuaries, lakes and farm ponds across the county.
Year-round
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of offshore waters, often seen streaming past headlands. Breeds on nearby islands and rocky coasts.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
A rare resident at the western edge of its British range. Found in scattered mature deciduous woodland with limited suitable habitat in Cornwall.
Nov–Aug
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of moorland, rough grassland, and clifftops. Numbers increase in autumn and winter with passage birds moving through.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
A scarce resident found in parkland, churchyards and farmland with tall trees. Its loud, rattling song carries across open ground even in winter.
Sep–Jul
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A rare winter visitor to Cornish estuaries, with its elegant upswept bill. Most records come from the Fal and Hayle.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
An uncommon resident gracing sheltered estuaries, lakes and rivers throughout the year. Breeds on a few Cornish waterways.
Year-round
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
A common and spectacular sight year-round, plunge-diving offshore. Easily seen from headlands such as Pendeen and Porthgwarra.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Found on farmland and wetland margins, numbers boosted in winter by continental arrivals though the species is declining nationally.
Jul–Apr
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
A scarce resident, most visible on freshwater pools and flooded fields from autumn to spring. Numbers drop in midsummer.
Aug–May
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon but thrilling resident, nesting on dramatic sea cliffs. Cornwall's rugged coastline provides ideal breeding habitat year-round.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
A rare diving duck found on freshwater pools and reservoirs. Numbers have declined nationally, making sightings increasingly notable.
Oct–May
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
A rare but regular winter visitor to rocky headlands and harbour walls, often overlooked among other waders.
Oct–May
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Nests on sea cliffs and winters offshore, regularly seen from headlands and harbours throughout the year.
Year-round
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
An iconic Cornish resident, recolonising coastal cliffs after local extinction. The county's chough population is a celebrated conservation success story.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An introduced gamebird, rarely encountered on Cornish farmland. Less established here than in drier eastern counties.
Sep–Jul
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Inhabits Cornish estuaries and saltmarshes year-round, its loud piping calls a familiar sound on tidal creeks.
Jun–Apr
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A scarce year-round resident of reedbeds, marshes, and damp scrubby margins across Cornwall's wetland sites.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Breeds on sandy beaches and shingle, with year-round presence boosted by passage birds. Vulnerable to disturbance at nest sites.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Feral populations inhabit Cornish sea cliffs, harbours, and towns year-round, alongside truly wild birds on remote headlands.
Year-round
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
A common resident of rocky coastlines year-round. Forages along wave-splashed rocks and harbour walls throughout Cornwall's extensive shoreline.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common resident forming noisy rookeries in farmland trees across the county. Large flocks forage in agricultural fields year-round.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Present year-round on rocky shorelines and harbours, often seen flipping stones and seaweed to find invertebrates.
Year-round
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Found year-round on sandy beaches, often seen in small flocks racing along the tideline on Cornwall's north coast.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident heard singing from gardens and woodland edges year-round. Often repeats its musical phrases from prominent perches in Cornish hedgerows.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, hunting small birds in woodland, hedgerows, and sometimes Cornish gardens.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A year-round resident of farmland and parkland, often overlooked among Woodpigeons. Nests in tree holes and old buildings.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
A common resident of gorse-covered clifftops and heathland year-round. Cornwall's mild winters support a strong and stable population.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A scarce year-round resident of mature woodland. More often heard than seen, calling after dark.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
A scarce resident, spiralling up tree trunks in mature woodland. Thinly distributed across Cornwall's wooded valleys.
Dec–Jun
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
An uncommon year-round resident on freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Numbers may increase slightly in winter with visiting birds.
Year-round
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Present year-round along Cornish estuaries and rocky shores, with numbers peaking during spring and autumn passage.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant year-round resident, found in woodlands, parks, gardens, and farmland across the entire county.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A scarce resident found among large gull flocks at tips and harbours, most numerous in late summer and autumn.
Jun–Apr
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
A scarce resident of farmland hedgerows, present mainly from late autumn through the breeding season. Has declined significantly in Cornwall.
Nov–Jul
Breeding
(1)
Non-breeding
(27)
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cornish coastal waters from November to April. Often seen singly in sheltered bays and harbours.
Nov–Apr
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
A striking black-and-white wader, occasionally wintering on sheltered Cornish estuaries. Sweeps its upcurved bill through shallow water.
Nov–Feb
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor favouring harbours, cliffs, and coastal buildings. Present from autumn through spring in Cornwall's mild conditions.
Oct–Apr
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cornish estuaries from autumn through winter. The Camel and Fal estuaries are favoured sites.
Sep–Feb
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly regular non-breeding visitor, often associating with livestock on Cornish farmland, mainly autumn to spring.
Aug–Apr
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare winter visitor to Cornish rivers and estuaries, more typical of freshwater habitats further east and north in Britain.
Nov–Mar
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Winters in wet meadows and marshes across Cornwall, arriving from August and lingering into spring before heading to upland breeding grounds.
Aug–Apr
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cornish coastal waters, most likely seen between autumn and spring around rocky shores and harbours.
Oct–Apr
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cornish estuaries, increasingly recorded in recent years. Most likely on the Hayle or Camel estuaries.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A secretive winter visitor to damp woodland and hedgerows, most likely encountered during cold snaps from October to February.
Oct–Feb
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
An uncommon winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving from October. Flocks forage in hedgerows and fields, often alongside Redwings.
Oct–Mar
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Winters on ploughed fields and coastal grasslands, sometimes forming mixed flocks with Lapwings from autumn to spring.
Sep–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to freshwater lakes and sheltered estuaries from November to March. Scarce this far south-west.
Nov–Mar
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare winter visitor to sheltered bays and estuaries, sometimes mixing with Tufted Duck flocks on inland waters.
Nov–Mar
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
A rare winter visitor to sheltered Cornish bays and harbours, most likely seen between November and February in non-breeding plumage.
Nov–Feb
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, occasionally spotted in harbours or among gull flocks at estuaries in autumn and winter.
Sep–Feb
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare winter visitor to open moorland and coastal marshes from autumn through to early spring. Often hunts low over rough ground for small birds.
Sep–Apr
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschataLC
A rare non-breeding visitor of feral origin, occasionally seen on ponds and waterways during the winter months.
Nov–Mar
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cornish estuaries and pools from October to March. Elegant and long-necked, it favours shallow muddy waters.
Oct–Mar
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Scarce on Cornish shores outside winter, small numbers feed on sandy estuaries from autumn through to early spring.
Aug–Mar
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
A rare winter visitor to sheltered estuaries and coastal waters, with slim, serrated bills adapted for catching fish.
Nov–Mar
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Winters rarely off the Cornish coast, often seen in flight low over the sea. Most likely from November to April in sheltered bays.
Nov–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor arriving from October, often heard calling overhead at night. Feeds in hedgerows and fields across the county.
Oct–Apr
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensisLC
A rare but regular transatlantic winter visitor, typically found among gull flocks at harbours and playing fields.
Dec–Mar
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to sheltered estuaries, occasionally wintering at favoured sites like the Fal and Hayle estuaries.
Sep–Mar
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
A rare winter visitor, favouring watercress beds, reservoir margins, and coastal seepages from November through to March.
Nov–Mar
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Skulks in reedbeds and marshy ditches, more often heard squealing than seen. Present mainly outside the breeding season.
Aug–Apr
Passage
(4)
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
A rare passage visitor to sheltered Cornish bays and estuaries in midwinter, often associating with other grebes in calm coastal waters.
Jan–Feb
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded in February at reedbeds and wetland margins.
Feb
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
A rare late-winter visitor, usually a single bird found loafing among Herring Gulls at harbours or landfill sites.
Jan–Mar
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally seen in sheltered bays and harbours during January and February.
Jan–Feb