Birds to See in Gloucestershire in December
126 species matching this filter.
Gloucestershire offers rewarding birdwatching throughout December, with 126 species recorded across its diverse habitats, from the Severn Estuary mudflats to the wooded valleys of the Forest of Dean and the open Cotswold hills. Winter visitors such as Fieldfare and Common Crane can be spotted alongside resident favourites like Great Tit, Magpie and Linnet. The county's wetlands attract notable wildfowl including Common Shelduck, Common Merganser and the striking Mandarin Duck, making it a fantastic destination for a winter birding excursion.
New in December2
Resident
(105)
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
An uncommon resident, favouring shallow saline pools along the Severn Estuary. Slimbridge is a key site for this elegant wader.
Year-round
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare visitor to the Severn Estuary mudflats, most likely seen during passage periods in spring and autumn.
Year-round
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Present year-round but uncommon; feral birds frequent the Severn Estuary wetlands and Cotswold Water Park lakes.
Year-round
Black Swan
Cygnus atratusLC
A rare resident, likely originating from ornamental collections. Occasionally seen on lakes and gravel pits across the county.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Common year-round on the Severn Estuary and wet grasslands, with Slimbridge hosting nationally important flocks.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
An abundant resident found in virtually every garden, hedgerow and woodland across the county, singing from dawn throughout the year.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common resident of woodlands and gardens. Summer breeders are joined by continental wintering birds, making it present year-round.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common and familiar garden resident year-round, readily using nest boxes in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland across the county.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of thick hedgerows, orchards and woodland edges. Often heard before seen, with its soft piping call.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
The county's most commonly seen raptor, soaring over farmland, woodland edges and motorway verges throughout the year.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common resident of lakes, gravel pits and river meadows, with large moulting flocks gathering at Slimbridge in summer.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and conspicuous resident found across farmland, towns, and gardens throughout the county all year round.
Year-round
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly seen resident, often found alongside livestock on the Severn Vale's wet pastures. A recent colonist of southern England.
Jul–May
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but expanding resident of dense waterside scrub, more often heard than seen at wetland sites like Slimbridge.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common resident found year-round in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens. Winter flocks are often boosted by Continental migrants.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident heard year-round, its repetitive two-note song echoing through woodlands, parks, and gardens across the county.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, regularly visiting garden feeders in winter. Common in the Forest of Dean.
Year-round
Common Crane
Grus grusLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, part of the recolonisation of western England. Breeds on the Somerset Levels and visits Severn wetlands.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon resident seen year-round on playing fields, reservoirs and farmland. Numbers increase in winter with visiting birds from the Continent.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of clean rivers and streams. A flash of electric blue along the Severn's tributaries and canal banks.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Present year-round in farmland and woodland edges across the county, sustained largely by releases for shooting.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, often seen soaring over the Cotswold escarpment and Forest of Dean with deep, cronking calls.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare resident, most likely encountered in birch and alder woodland. Largely absent during summer months, with numbers bolstered by winter visitors.
Sep–May
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon resident along rivers and reservoir edges. Most conspicuous during passage, bobbing on rocks by the water.
Apr–Feb
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
A common resident found year-round on the Severn Estuary mudflats and nearby wetlands. Breeds locally and gathers in moulting flocks.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of marshy fields and wetland edges, most conspicuous in winter when flushed from waterlogged grassland.
Jul–May
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident forming spectacular winter murmurations, notably over reedbeds at Slimbridge and urban roost sites.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits across the county. Forms large winter flocks on open water.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Common along the Severn Estuary and on wet grasslands year-round. Breeding numbers in the county have declined significantly.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Common along the Severn Estuary mudflats year-round, with numbers peaking in winter when migrants join resident birds.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident of hedgerows, gardens and scrubby woodland. Its shuffling song is one of the earliest heard each spring.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
A scarce but established non-native resident, found around lakes and parkland. The UK population continues to spread from south-east England.
Sep–Jul
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common resident in towns, villages and farmyards, its monotonous three-note call heard throughout the year.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A resident of mature broadleaved woodland, often heard giving its harsh screech in the Forest of Dean and Cotswold valleys.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of mature deciduous woodland, particularly in the Forest of Dean and along the Wye Valley.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Common year-round along the Severn Estuary. Breeds on shingle and grassland, with noisy piping calls a familiar sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident favouring conifer plantations and alders along waterways. More conspicuous in winter when visiting garden feeders.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common resident of open farmland and grassland across the Cotswolds and Severn Vale, though declining nationally due to agricultural changes.
Year-round
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, seen at Slimbridge and Severn Estuary wetlands throughout the year.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Common on the Severn Estuary and wetlands, with large winter flocks at Slimbridge. Small numbers linger through summer.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common and vocal resident found in virtually every hedgerow, garden, and woodland. Remarkably loud song for its tiny size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, frequently seen in flocks on teasel heads and garden feeders throughout the county all year round.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
An uncommon resident favouring parkland, orchards, and woodland edges. Its loud laughing call is a familiar sound across the Cotswolds.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round resident, regularly seen at landfill sites, reservoirs and urban rooftops across the county.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
One of the county's most familiar garden birds, present year-round in hedgerows, woodlands and parks throughout Gloucestershire.
Year-round
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
A rare but increasing resident, favouring coniferous and mixed woodland. Most often detected by its high-pitched call in autumn and winter.
Oct–Jun
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Common year-round on lakes and gravel pits, especially at the Cotswold Water Park and Slimbridge reserves.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A tiny resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, present year-round in the Forest of Dean and Cotswold plantations.
Year-round
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Rare but regular in winter on larger lakes and gravel pits, with small numbers lingering into spring.
Nov–May
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, seen at reservoirs, the Severn Estuary and landfill sites across the county.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common resident along rivers, gravel pits and reservoirs. Often seen perched with wings outstretched on the Severn and its tributaries.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
An uncommon resident, breeding on larger lakes at Cotswold Water Park and other gravel pits. Elegant courtship displays begin in spring.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
An uncommon resident of mature woodlands and larger gardens, its drumming a familiar spring sound in the Forest of Dean.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common resident of gardens, parks and woodlands throughout the county, readily visiting feeders and nesting in nest boxes year-round.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An increasingly established presence, seen year-round at Slimbridge and the Severn Vale wetlands, part of a national expansion.
Year-round
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common resident found year-round in gardens, hedgerows and farmland, though numbers have declined significantly due to trichomonosis disease.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common year-round resident, nesting in heronries in tall trees. Readily seen along rivers, lakes and wet meadows across the county.
Year-round
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
A rare visitor to the Severn Estuary mudflats, seen sporadically outside the main summer months.
Sep–Jun
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon year-round resident favouring fast-flowing streams and weirs, especially in the Cotswolds. Bobs its long tail constantly.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Common and resident, with large flocks grazing the Severn Vale. Feral populations bolster wild wintering birds.
Year-round
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
A rare but iconic resident of the Forest of Dean, favouring mature broadleaved woodland with hornbeam and cherry. Most reliably seen in winter flocks.
Sep–Jun
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common year-round resident, nesting in roof spaces and hedges in towns and villages across the county.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in Cotswold stone buildings, church towers and old trees across the county in noisy, chattering colonies.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
An uncommon resident often seen hovering over roadside verges and open farmland across the Cotswolds and Severn Vale.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Common year-round, frequenting landfill sites, reservoirs, and the Severn Estuary. Numbers peak in summer breeding colonies.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of farmland, rough ground and hedgerows. Forms sociable flocks in winter, often mixing with other finches on stubble fields.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common sight along the Severn Estuary and Cotswold waterways year-round, having colonised the county since the 1990s.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident on ponds, canals, and sheltered lakes. Its whinnying trill is often heard before it is seen.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common resident forming noisy roving flocks through hedgerows and woodland. Builds elaborate domed nests in thorny scrub.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident throughout the county, found in gardens, farmland and parks, often seen in noisy territorial groups.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
An abundant resident found on virtually any waterbody, from the Severn and its tributaries to farm ponds and urban park lakes.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare but year-round resident favouring wooded lakes and rivers. Nests in tree holes along the county's well-wooded valleys.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
A rare but year-round resident of mature deciduous woodland, particularly in the Forest of Dean. Declining nationally and a conservation concern.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of upland grassland and rough pasture on the Cotswold hills, also widespread in winter lowlands.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of parkland, orchards and open woodland, often seen singing boldly from treetops even in winter storms.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident of ponds, streams and ditches throughout the county, often seen picking its way along muddy waterside margins.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A familiar resident on the county's rivers, lakes and gravel pits, often seen gliding along the Severn or nesting on canal banks year-round.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Common year-round on wet grasslands and ploughed fields, with large winter flocks on the Severn floodplain.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon winter visitor to the Severn Estuary and floodplain pools, typically present from autumn through to spring.
Sep–May
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Common on shallow wetlands and flooded fields, especially around the Severn Vale. Numbers peak in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, nesting on Gloucester Cathedral and cliff faces in the Wye Valley and Cotswold escarpment.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon year-round resident on deeper lakes and gravel pits. A nationally declining species, with modest numbers wintering in the county.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Now an uncommon year-round resident following successful reintroduction, increasingly seen soaring over the Cotswolds and Severn Vale.
Year-round
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare visitor to the Severn Estuary, mainly in winter and during passage. Small flocks occasionally feed on the mudflats.
Jul–Apr
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
A rare but year-round resident, most likely seen at Cotswold Water Park gravel pits. Numbers in southern England are slowly increasing.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
A scarce resident of arable farmland and open fields, most often encountered in the Cotswolds and lowland areas.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Common year-round on the Severn Estuary and wet meadows, breeding on damp grasslands in spring.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of reedbeds, ditches and wetland margins. Often found around the Severn Vale's wet grasslands.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
An uncommon resident, found on muddy shores along the Severn Estuary and at gravel pit margins throughout the year.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Abundant year-round in towns and cities, with feral populations thriving on buildings across Gloucester and Cheltenham.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common resident forming noisy rookeries in farmland trees across the Severn Vale and Cotswold villages.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
An uncommon visitor to rocky and muddy shores along the Severn Estuary, absent only in June during the breeding season.
Jul–May
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
Uncommon but present year-round on wet grasslands and muddy scrapes, often alongside lapwings at Slimbridge.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland, singing its repeated phrases from early spring across the county.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, hunting small birds in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens throughout the county.
Year-round
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
An uncommon wader found on the Severn Estuary and nearby wetlands. Elegant in breeding plumage during spring passage.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
An uncommon resident of farmland and parkland, nesting in old trees across the Cotswolds and Severn Vale.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident favouring gorse-covered commons and rough grassland, found year-round on heathland edges in the county.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A secretive resident of mature woodland and parkland, rarely seen but its hooting call carries through the Forest of Dean and Cotswold valleys.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An unobtrusive year-round resident spiralling up tree trunks in mature woodland throughout the county.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
A common diving duck found on lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits throughout the year. Breeds locally and numbers increase in winter.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, hunting over reedbeds and marshes at Slimbridge and the Severn Vale. Numbers have increased in recent decades.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant year-round resident found in gardens, farmland, and woodland across the county. Its cooing song is a familiar background sound.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare breeding gull, increasingly recorded among large gull flocks at reservoirs and landfill sites from late winter through autumn.
Jul–Dec
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
A declining resident of Cotswold farmland and hedgerows, singing its distinctive 'little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese' song from exposed perches.
Year-round
Non-breeding
(21)
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up around buildings and industrial sites in Gloucester or Cheltenham from November to March.
Nov–Mar
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor to Gloucestershire, sometimes joining chaffinch flocks at woodland edges and farmland feeding stations from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
A rare winter visitor to the Severn Estuary, with small numbers occasionally grazing saltmarsh between October and April.
Oct–Apr
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to rivers and lakes, most likely seen on the Severn in the colder months.
Oct–Apr
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
A rare and secretive winter visitor to reedbeds, occasionally recorded at Slimbridge and other wetland sites in the county.
Sep–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
An uncommon winter visitor from Scandinavia, feeding in flocks on berry-laden hedgerows and open fields from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
An uncommon winter visitor forming flocks on the Severn floodplain and arable fields, present from autumn through to early spring.
Sep–Apr
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up on deeper lakes and reservoirs between December and March.
Dec–Mar
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
An uncommon winter visitor to the Severn Estuary and floodplain grasslands, with the Slimbridge area being a key site in the county.
Oct–Apr
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A rare and secretive winter visitor to boggy fields and wetland margins. Easily overlooked due to its skulking habits.
Oct–Apr
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
A rare visitor, sometimes storm-driven inland to reservoirs or the Severn Estuary during winter gales.
Nov–Apr
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
A rare wader visiting the Severn Estuary mudflats and inland reservoirs, most likely seen on autumn passage in August and September.
Aug–May
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare winter visitor from upland breeding grounds, seen dashing low over farmland and marshes from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
A rare winter visitor to the Severn Vale, occasionally joining other goose flocks on flooded grasslands and wetlands during cold spells.
Oct–May
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter thrush arriving from Scandinavia, foraging in hedgerows and fields across the county from autumn through to spring.
Sep–Apr
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor found along the Severn Estuary shoreline in winter. Occasionally recorded at inland reservoirs on passage.
Sep–Mar
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to open grassland and marshes from October to March. Most likely on the Severn floodplain in harsh winters.
Oct–Mar
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescensLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally appearing among wild goose flocks at Slimbridge, though feral origin is often suspected.
Oct–Mar
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
A winter visitor to the Severn floodplains, arriving from October and favouring wet grasslands at Slimbridge.
Oct–Mar
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
An elusive non-breeding visitor to reedbeds and marshy ditches, more often heard squealing than seen, mainly from autumn to spring.
Aug–Apr
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up on Severn floodwaters or at Slimbridge WWT between October and March.
Oct–Mar