Rare Birds in Cornwall
Our list for Cornwall has 46 rare birds recorded regularly there: 9 residents, 4 winter visitors, 27 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Cornwall in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 46, most common first
Leach's Storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousPassage migrantRare18–21 cmRegularly Sep–Nov
DotterelEudromias morinellusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantRare64–81 cmRegularly Dec–Apr
HoopoeUpupa epopsPassage migrantRare25–32 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorRare34–43 cmRegularly Oct–May
Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellarisPassage migrantRare69–81 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRegularly Nov–Sep
Mandarin DuckAix galericulataWinter visitorRare41–49 cmRegularly Jun–Mar
Little Ringed PloverThinornis dubiusPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Purple HeronArdea purpureaPassage migrantRare78–90 cmRegularly Apr–May
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaWinter visitorRare42–45 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusPassage migrantRare41–52 cmRegularly Oct–Jan
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaScarceRare28–38 cm
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaPassage migrantRare51–58 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiScarceRare14–17 cmRegularly Sep
WoodlarkLullula arboreaResidentRare15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustesPassage migrantRare17–18 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
BluethroatLuscinia svecicaPassage migrantRare13–14 cmRegularly Oct
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisPassage migrantRare37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Jan
Spotted CrakePorzana porzanaPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusRecords withheldRare15–17 cmRegularly Apr–Jul
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made