Birds to See in Derbyshire in April
134 species matching this filter.
Derbyshire comes alive with birdlife in April, as spring migration brings a wealth of returning species to the county's diverse landscapes. From the moorlands and gritstone edges of the Peak District to the river valleys and lowland farmland, some 134 species can be spotted this month, including arriving summer visitors such as Common Sandpiper and Common Reed-warbler alongside resident favourites like Barn Owl, Great Tit and Linnet. April is an excellent time to explore Derbyshire's reservoirs, woodlands and hedgerows as breeding activity intensifies and passage migrants pass through.
New in April25
- Arctic Tern
- Barn Swallow
- Common Redstart
- Common Reed-warbler
- Common Sandpiper
- Common Swift
- Common Tern
- Cuckoo
- Eurasian Bittern
- European Pied Flycatcher
- Garden Warbler
- Grasshopper Warbler
- House Martin
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Little Gull
- Merlin
- Ring Ouzel
- Sedge Warbler
- Short-eared Owl
- Tree Pipit
- Whimbrel
- Whinchat
- Whitethroat
- Willow Warbler
- Yellow Wagtail
Leaving after last month6
Resident
(98)
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare but year-round resident of lowland farmland, hunting voles at dusk along field margins and river valleys.
Year-round
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, likely of feral origin. Small numbers frequent parkland lakes and reservoirs throughout much of the year.
Dec–Aug
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
An abundant resident in gardens, woodland and hedgerows throughout the county. One of the most familiar birds in Derbyshire year-round.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common warbler found in mature woodland and gardens. Some overwinter in Derbyshire, supplemented by continental birds visiting berry-laden hedgerows.
Jan–Nov
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common and familiar garden resident found throughout the county, readily using nest boxes in both rural and urban settings.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
A common but unobtrusive resident of hedgerows, orchards, and woodland edges, often heard giving its soft piping call.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common resident frequently seen soaring over farmland, woodland edges and Peak District valleys throughout the year.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common resident breeding on lakes, reservoirs and rivers across the county. Large moulting flocks gather in late summer.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable resident found across all habitats from Peak District moorland edges to Derby's urban centre.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon resident slowly colonising Derbyshire's wetland margins. More often heard than seen, its explosive song erupts from dense scrub.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common and familiar resident of woodlands, hedgerows, and gardens throughout the county, often visiting feeders in winter.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Resident year-round in Derbyshire's woodlands and hedgerows. Its repetitive two-note song is one of the earliest signs of spring.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
A common resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, readily visiting garden feeders especially in winter months.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon resident frequenting reservoirs, playing fields, and farmland, with numbers boosted by winter visitors.
Jul–May
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but dazzling resident along clean rivers and streams, also visiting canal banks and reservoir edges.
Year-round
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
An uncommon resident found year-round on the county's rivers and reservoirs. Known locally as Goosander, often seen on the Derwent and Dove.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common and widespread resident across farmland and woodland edges throughout Derbyshire, sustained largely by game releases.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but recovering resident, increasingly seen soaring over gritstone edges and upland valleys in the Peak District.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
An uncommon resident favouring birch and alder woodland, with numbers boosted in some winters by Continental immigrants.
Year-round
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
A rare resident, thinly spread on reservoirs and gravel pits. More typically coastal, it breeds sparingly inland in the county.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Present year-round in marshy fields and moorland bogs. Breeds on upland mires and disperses to lowland wetlands in winter.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common but declining resident found across towns and farmland. Winter roosts can form spectacular murmurations over Derbyshire's urban areas.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on reservoirs, gravel pits, and larger ponds. Often gathers in sizeable flocks on open water in winter.
Year-round
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
An iconic resident of fast-flowing Peak District rivers and streams. Bobs on midstream rocks and nests under bridges along the Derwent and Dove.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
A scarce breeder on high Peak District moorlands, with small numbers also visiting lowland reservoirs on passage and in winter.
Mar–Dec
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident, found year-round in hedgerows, gardens, and woodland undergrowth across the county.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
A rare but increasing feral resident, found year-round on parkland lakes and gravel pits across lowland Derbyshire.
Year-round
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
A rare and secretive resident of reedbeds, most likely encountered at sites like Ogston Reservoir during spring and autumn.
Apr–Nov
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common resident in towns, villages, and farmyards throughout the county. Its monotonous three-note call is a familiar suburban sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon resident of broadleaved and mixed woodland, often heard giving its harsh screaming call in autumn as it caches acorns.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A vocal resident of mature deciduous woodland and parkland, readily visiting garden feeders. Often heard giving its loud ringing call.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
An uncommon breeder along river shingle and reservoir margins, arriving from late winter. Has spread inland in recent decades.
Jan–Sep
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
A common resident associated with conifer and alder woodland, often seen in lively flocks at nyjer seed feeders in winter.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
An uncommon resident of open farmland and moorland fringes, declining in the uplands but still singing over Peak District grasslands.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
A rare and localised resident, favouring farmland with mature hedgerows and visiting rural feeding stations in small flocks.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
An uncommon resident with numbers boosted in winter. Flocks graze flooded pastures and gather on larger reservoirs.
Jul–May
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A scarce resident of damp woodland floors, best detected during roding display flights over Peak District woods at dusk in spring.
Nov–Jul
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of Derbyshire's most abundant residents, found in virtually every habitat from moorland cloughs to town gardens. Remarkably loud for its size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, frequently visiting garden feeders and foraging on teasel and thistle heads across the county.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
An uncommon resident of parkland and woodland edges in the lowlands, recognised by its loud, laughing call.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Present year-round at reservoirs, tips, and urban rooftops. Less numerous inland than on the coast but regularly encountered.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A beloved and abundant resident of gardens, woodland and hedgerows. One of the tamest birds encountered across Derbyshire year-round.
Year-round
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, breeding at gravel pits and reservoirs. Favours well-vegetated lowland waterbodies.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A tiny resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, often found in Peak District plantations. Numbers swell in autumn with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Breeds on the Dark Peak moors in summer and forms flocks on lowland fields in winter. A declining upland species of conservation concern.
Sep–Jul
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
An uncommon winter visitor to reservoirs and larger lakes, present mainly from autumn to spring. Males are striking with their glossy green heads.
Jul–May
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
A scarce year-round resident, seen in small numbers at reservoirs and refuse tips among other large gull species.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common resident found year-round at reservoirs, rivers and gravel pits, often seen perched with wings outstretched to dry.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A common resident on Derbyshire's reservoirs, lakes and gravel pits, with elegant courtship displays visible from early spring.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
An uncommon resident of mature broadleaved and mixed woodlands, often betrayed by its loud drumming in spring.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common year-round resident of woodland, parks and gardens, easily recognised by its bold black-and-white head pattern.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An increasingly regular sight at Derbyshire wetlands year-round, reflecting a national expansion from continental Europe.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A scarce but regular visitor to muddy pool edges and reservoir margins, seen on passage and in winter months.
Jul–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common garden and farmland resident year-round, though numbers have declined significantly due to trichomonosis disease.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common year-round resident, easily spotted along rivers, reservoirs and farmland ponds across the county.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
A declining resident of lowland farmland in the south and east of the county. Increasingly rare due to agricultural intensification.
Nov–May
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident along fast-flowing rivers and streams in the Peak District, bobbing its long tail on rocks year-round.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
An uncommon resident found year-round on lakes, reservoirs and riverside meadows. Feral populations breed alongside truly wild birds.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common resident closely tied to towns and villages, nesting under eaves and in hedges throughout Derbyshire's built-up areas.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in limestone crags, church towers and old buildings throughout Derbyshire.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A common resident hovering over roadside verges, farmland and moorland edges throughout Derbyshire year-round.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common resident at reservoirs, farmland, and tips throughout the year. Numbers peak in summer when breeding nearby.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
An uncommon resident of farmland, heathland, and gorse-covered slopes, often forming flocks on stubble fields in winter.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, found at reservoirs, river margins and wetlands across the county.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A year-round resident on ponds, canals, and sheltered reservoir bays. Its whinnying trill is often heard before the bird is seen.
Year-round
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A rare resident of lowland farmland with old trees and stone walls, often heard giving its piercing call at dusk.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Resident in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens, often seen in lively flocks moving acrobatically through trees with constant contact calls.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident found in gardens, farmland and urban areas throughout the county year-round.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
A common and widespread resident found on virtually any waterbody, from upland streams to urban park ponds.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
An uncommon but established resident, favouring wooded rivers and lakes. Often secretive, nesting in tree holes near water.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of the Peak District's moorlands and rough grasslands, delivering its parachuting song flight in spring.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
A bold, early-singing thrush resident in parkland, open woodland and upland pastures. Often seen defending berry bushes aggressively in winter.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident on ponds, canals, and waterways throughout the county. Readily seen in parks and gardens near water.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A common resident gracing canals, rivers and park lakes throughout Derbyshire. Breeds widely and is present all year.
Year-round
Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentilisLC
A rare but increasing resident breeding in mature woodland, particularly in the larger forests of the Peak District.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common but declining resident, breeding on farmland and moorland fringes. Winter flocks gather on ploughed fields across the lowlands.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
An uncommon resident found on shallow, muddy-edged pools and reservoirs. Numbers increase in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, often seen hunting from Derby Cathedral and the gritstone edges of the Peak District.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon and declining resident, breeding sparingly on lowland pools. Winter numbers are bolstered by continental birds.
Year-round
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
A rare and nomadic resident of conifer plantations, with numbers varying greatly between years depending on cone crops.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
A rare but increasing resident, now seen soaring over farmland and valleys as the population slowly spreads northward.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An introduced species found rarely on lowland farmland, mainly in the south of the county. Less established here than in southern England.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
A scarce resident breeding on wet meadows and moorland fringes. Numbers have declined significantly across the county.
Nov–Sep
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A common resident of reedbeds, wetland margins, and rough farmland, often joining mixed bunting flocks in winter.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Feral populations inhabit towns and cities year-round, while purer forms cling on around limestone dales and quarry faces in the Peak District.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common resident of lowland farmland, with noisy rookeries a familiar sight in the county's villages and field margins.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident of gardens, hedgerows and woodland. Its rich, repeated song phrases are a familiar sound across the county year-round.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, hunting small birds in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens throughout the county.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, nesting in tree holes across farmland and parkland. Often overlooked among flocks of Woodpigeons.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident found on gorse-clad moorland fringes and rough grassland year-round, often perching prominently on bushes.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A resident of mature woodlands across the county, more often heard hooting at night than seen during the day.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An unobtrusive resident spiralling up tree trunks in mature woodland. Favours oak and ash woods across the county year-round.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
A common resident breeding on reservoirs, gravel pits and park lakes. Winter flocks can number in the hundreds.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
An uncommon and secretive resident of reedbeds and marshy margins. More often heard squealing from dense cover than seen in the open.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
A rare resident increasingly seen quartering reedbeds and wetland margins at lowland sites across Derbyshire.
Year-round
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
A rare and declining resident, favouring damp scrubby woodland. One of the UK's fastest-declining species, making Derbyshire records notable.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant year-round resident, thriving in Derbyshire's farmland, parks, and gardens. Its cooing song is one of the county's most familiar sounds.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon but distinctive resident of lowland farmland hedgerows, singing its 'little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese' song in spring.
Year-round
Breeding
(27)
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
A common summer visitor breeding in farm buildings across the county, arriving in April and departing by October.
Apr–Oct
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in mature oak woodland and along stone walls in the Peak District, arriving from April.
Apr–Sep
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
An uncommon summer breeder present April to September, favouring phragmites reedbeds at lowland reservoirs and gravel pits.
Apr–Sep
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon summer breeder along rocky rivers and reservoir edges, bobbing characteristically on stones from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
A common summer breeder screaming over towns and villages from late April to August. Numbers have declined but remain notable in Derby.
Apr–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon summer breeder at larger reservoirs, nesting on islands and rafts from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, favouring moorland edges and wooded valleys. Declining across the county in recent decades.
Apr–Jul
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Breeds on Peak District moorlands and upland pastures from February to August. A declining species whose evocative call defines Derbyshire's open hills.
Feb–Aug
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
An uncommon summer breeder favouring oak woodlands in the western Peak District, often using nestboxes. Present from April to July.
Apr–Jul
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
An unobtrusive summer breeder in dense scrubby woodland, present from April to August. Easier to hear than to see among thick undergrowth.
Apr–Aug
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare summer breeder with a distinctive reeling song, found in rough grassland and scrubby wetland margins from April to July.
Apr–Jul
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A common summer breeder nesting under eaves in towns and villages, often seen in flocks over reservoirs before autumn departure.
Apr–Oct
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
A rare breeding visitor to tall hedgerows and scrub in lowland Derbyshire, arriving in April. Its rattling song is distinctive but localised.
Apr–Aug
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
An uncommon summer breeder at gravel pits and reservoir margins, arriving in March. Often the first returning wader of spring.
Mar–Sep
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare breeding bird of Peak District moorlands, dashing low over heather in pursuit of pipits and small birds.
Apr–Oct
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
A rare and declining breeding visitor to the Peak District's gritstone edges and moorland cloughs. A prized sighting for local birders.
Apr–Oct
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
A rare breeding visitor to reservoir edges and gravel workings from spring to early autumn. Declining as a Derbyshire breeder.
Mar–Sep
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in sandy riverbanks and quarry faces, often seen hawking insects over reservoirs.
Mar–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, found in reedbeds and waterside vegetation at reservoirs and river margins.
Apr–Sep
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
A rare breeding visitor to Peak District moorlands, quartering rough grassland on long wings from April to July.
Apr–Jul
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
An uncommon summer visitor to open woodland and heathland edges, recognised by its distinctive descending song flight from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
An uncommon summer breeder on the gritstone edges and upland pastures of the Peak District, arriving from March and departing by October.
Mar–Oct
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
A rare and declining breeder on the moorland edges of the Peak District, favouring bracken-covered slopes from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in hedgerows and scrubby margins, often singing from exposed perches in the lowland farmland areas.
Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
A common summer visitor breeding in moorland edges and open woodland across the Peak District, arriving from April and departing by September.
Apr–Sep
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
A rare and declining summer breeder in lowland Derbyshire, favouring damp meadows and arable fields from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare visitor to reservoirs and tips, with records scattered across the year. Requires careful separation from Herring Gull.
Feb–Jul
Non-breeding
(5)
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor from Scandinavia, sometimes joining Chaffinch flocks in beech woodland and around farmland from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to larger reservoirs, mainly seen between December and April during harsh winter weather.
Dec–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
A common winter visitor forming noisy flocks across farmland and berry-laden hedgerows, often with Redwings. Arrives from Scandinavia in October.
Oct–Apr
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
An uncommon winter visitor, with skeins sometimes heard overhead. Flocks graze farmland and gather at larger reservoirs.
Sep–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving from October and foraging in hedgerows and fields, often alongside Fieldfares.
Sep–Apr
Passage
(4)
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
A rare spring passage migrant, occasionally seen at larger reservoirs in April during northward migration to breeding grounds.
Apr
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare passage visitor to Derbyshire's larger reservoirs in spring and late summer, this sea duck is always a notable inland record.
Mar–Aug
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
A rare spring passage visitor, occasionally seen at larger reservoirs in April, often associating with Black-headed Gull flocks.
Apr
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
A rare spring passage migrant, occasionally heard calling overhead or seen resting on moorland and reservoir edges in April and May.
Apr–May