Birds in Cornwall
Explore 223 species found in this region.
Cornwall's dramatic coastline, sheltered estuaries, and windswept moorlands provide habitat for an impressive diversity of birdlife, with 213 species recorded across the county. From elegant waders such as the Northern Lapwing and Dotterel to colourful residents like the Great Tit and Magpie, the region offers outstanding birding opportunities year-round. Cornwall's position as Britain's south-westernmost county also makes it a renowned hotspot for rare migrants and overwintering wildfowl, including species such as the Common Shelduck, Northern Pintail, and Mandarin Duck.
Visiting in April? Look out for Common Redstart and Common Reed-warbler arriving this month, and Common Kingfisher and Common Merganser depart for the season.
Showing 93–115 of 223 species
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
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare and secretive breeding visitor from April to July. Its insect-like reeling song is heard from dense scrub and rough grassland.
Apr–Jul
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 Shearwater
Ardenna gravisLC
An uncommon visitor to offshore waters from July to November. Best spotted from prominent headlands during autumn seawatches.
Jul–Nov
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
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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
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare winter visitor to sheltered bays and estuaries, sometimes mixing with Tufted Duck flocks on inland waters.
Nov–Mar
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally appearing on Cornish estuaries and flooded fields in November alongside other wintering wildfowl.
Nov
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 Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicariusLC
A scarce autumn passage migrant, most often seen offshore or in harbours after Atlantic storms between August and November.
Aug–Nov
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
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded in October. This elusive finch may appear in coastal scrub during irruption years.
Oct
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, wintering on open moorland and coastal marshes from late autumn into early spring.
Nov–Mar
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
A rare passage visitor in late spring and early autumn. This agile falcon occasionally hunts dragonflies over Cornish wetlands and heathland.
May–Sep