Birds to See in Hampshire in April
161 species matching this filter.
Hampshire comes alive with birdlife in April, as spring migration brings a wealth of species to the county's diverse habitats. With 161 species recorded during this month, birders can enjoy everything from the explosive song of Cetti's Warbler in reedbeds to the arrival of Common Swifts screaming over towns and villages. The county's coastline, heathlands, ancient woodlands, and wetlands — including the internationally renowned Solent and New Forest — provide outstanding opportunities for birdwatching throughout the month.
New in April26
- Arctic Jaeger
- Bar-headed Goose
- Black Swan
- Common Redstart
- Common Reed-warbler
- Common Swift
- Common Tern
- Cuckoo
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Fulmar
- Garden Warbler
- Grasshopper Warbler
- Hobby
- House Martin
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Little Gull
- Little Tern
- Nightingale
- Northern Gannet
- Osprey
- Red-throated Loon
- Sedge Warbler
- Tree Pipit
- Whimbrel
- Whitethroat
- Yellow Wagtail
Resident
(120)
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring the mudflats and shallow lagoons of Hampshire's harbours, especially Langstone and Chichester.
Year-round
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare but year-round presence on Hampshire's coastal mudflats, especially in the Solent harbours. Numbers peak during winter and passage periods.
Year-round
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare and elusive resident, hunting over Hampshire's farmland and grasslands at dusk. Benefits from nest box schemes across the county.
Dec–Sep
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, present most months. Often of uncertain origin, mixing with feral flocks on lakes and gravel pits.
Jul–May
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
A rare resident of Hampshire's reedbeds, with key sites along the Solent coast. Listen for distinctive pinging calls in autumn.
Jun–Apr
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Present year-round in small numbers, favouring the Solent harbours and coastal marshes. Hampshire hosts nationally important wintering flocks.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
One of Hampshire's most familiar garden birds, present year-round. Numbers swell in autumn with continental migrants joining resident birds.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common resident found in woodland, hedgerows and gardens year-round. Winter birds from the continent supplement the breeding population.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A ubiquitous year-round resident, readily visiting garden feeders across Hampshire. Thrives in the county's woodlands, hedgerows and parks.
Year-round
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
An uncommon but characteristic sight on the Solent harbours year-round. Large flocks graze eelgrass on mudflats in winter.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
A shy resident of hedgerows and scrubby woodland edges. Often detected by its soft, melancholy call; a UK priority species due to ongoing declines.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common year-round resident, frequently seen soaring over farmland, woodland edges, and the New Forest throughout the county.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common year-round resident found on lakes, rivers, and gravel pits across the county. Often forms large moulting flocks in summer.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable resident found across all Hampshire habitats, from urban centres to remote farmland. Intelligent and resourceful throughout the year.
Year-round
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly regular resident, part of a recent colonisation of southern England. Often found among livestock on Hampshire's farmland.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
A resident warbler that has colonised Hampshire's reedbeds and dense waterside vegetation. More often heard than seen, with its explosive, unmistakable song.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
One of Hampshire's most abundant residents, found in woods, hedgerows, and gardens year-round. Its cheerful song is a hallmark of spring.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common year-round resident, increasingly overwintering in Hampshire. Its repetitive two-note song is one of the earliest heard in spring.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident favouring coniferous and mixed woodland, particularly in the New Forest. Regularly visits garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Present year-round but most numerous in winter on playing fields, reservoirs and coastal areas. Less common than Herring or Black-headed Gulls.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident along Hampshire's rivers and streams, often glimpsed as a flash of electric blue.
Year-round
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare resident, scarce on Hampshire's rivers and lakes. Most often seen in winter months, absent during midsummer.
Aug–May
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Widespread and common across Hampshire's farmland, woodland edges and downland throughout the year. Numbers bolstered by regular releases for shooting.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Has spread steadily across Hampshire in recent decades after a long absence. Now an uncommon but increasing resident, often seen over downland and wooded valleys.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
An uncommon visitor to birch and alder woodland, most often seen in winter flocks. Scarce during the breeding season in Hampshire.
Jul–Apr
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Found year-round along rivers, reservoirs and coastal margins, bobbing characteristically on rocks. Numbers peak during autumn passage.
Year-round
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare sea duck seen offshore along Hampshire's coast, mainly in winter and during passage. Largely absent during midsummer months.
Aug–May
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
A common year-round resident of coastal mudflats and estuaries. Breeds along the Solent harbours and Southampton Water.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of wet meadows, marshes and waterlogged fields. More conspicuous in winter when numbers are boosted by continental arrivals.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common year-round resident, often seen on lawns and rooftops. Winter roosts can number thousands, with spectacular murmurations over towns and reedbeds.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common year-round resident on lakes, reservoirs, and gravel pits. Often gathers in large flocks during winter.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common year-round resident with its evocative call heard over estuaries, harbours, and farmland. Breeding numbers are declining nationally.
Year-round
Dartford Warbler
Curruca undataNT
An uncommon but iconic resident of New Forest and other Hampshire heathlands. One of the UK's key strongholds for this sedentary warbler.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Present year-round but uncommon, favouring coastal mudflats and estuaries. Numbers peak in winter at sites like Langstone Harbour.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and unobtrusive resident of Hampshire's hedgerows, gardens, and woodland undergrowth. Often shuffles quietly along the ground beneath bird feeders.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident found year-round on lakes, gravel pits, and river meadows across Hampshire.
Year-round
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Found along the Solent coast and harbours year-round, though uncommon. Most often seen around the Isle of Wight approaches and Langstone Harbour.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common year-round resident in towns, villages, and farmland. Its monotonous cooing call is a familiar garden sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A colourful resident of Hampshire's broadleaf woodlands and mature gardens. Particularly conspicuous in autumn when gathering and caching acorns.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A common resident of Hampshire's mature deciduous woodlands. Often heard before seen, giving loud ringing calls from oak and beech trees.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Common year-round along Hampshire's coast, particularly in the Solent harbours. Breeds on shingle beaches and feeds on mudflats and estuaries.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Present year-round but most conspicuous in winter, when flocks visit alder trees and garden feeders across the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
An uncommon resident of open farmland and downland, singing in hovering display flight. Numbers have declined significantly across Hampshire.
Year-round
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare but increasingly regular presence, favouring Hampshire's coastal marshes and harbours. Numbers have grown in recent years, particularly around the Solent.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Common on coastal marshes and flooded grasslands, with large wintering flocks at sites like Keyhaven and the Test valley.
Aug–Jun
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of Hampshire's most abundant residents, found in virtually every habitat with dense cover. Its powerful song rings out from hedgerows and gardens year-round.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful year-round resident, often seen in flocks on seed heads. Readily visits garden feeders, especially nyjer seed.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Resident in parkland, orchards and woodland edges, often heard giving its loud laughing call. Feeds mainly on ants in short grassland.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common and familiar sight year-round at harbours, landfill sites and urban rooftops. Numbers bolstered in winter by continental arrivals.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
An abundant and much-loved resident of Hampshire's gardens, woodlands, and hedgerows. Sings throughout the year and is boldly territorial at feeding stations.
Year-round
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelisLC
A rare resident along the Hampshire coast, favouring rocky structures and harbour walls. Scarce but present most months.
Aug–May
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring coniferous and mixed woodland in the New Forest. Hampshire is a national stronghold for this tiny crest.
Year-round
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
A common year-round resident on Hampshire's lakes, gravel pits, and waterways. Often seen in pairs or small groups dabbling quietly.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A common resident of Hampshire's conifer woods and gardens, often heard giving its thin, high-pitched call. Numbers swell in autumn with continental migrants.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
A bulky, imposing gull found year-round along the Solent coast and harbours. Often dominates other gulls at feeding sites.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common year-round resident found along rivers, lakes, and the coast. Often seen perched with wings outstretched to dry.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A common resident on Hampshire's larger lakes and reservoirs, performing elaborate courtship displays in spring. Also frequents coastal waters in winter.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident of woodlands, parks, and mature gardens throughout Hampshire. Its drumming is a familiar sound in spring.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common year-round garden and woodland bird, readily visiting feeders. Its bold 'teacher-teacher' song is one of the first heard in spring.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An uncommon but increasingly regular resident, often seen at wetland sites such as the Avon valley and Blashford Lakes throughout the year.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A rare but year-round visitor to watercress beds, streams and flooded fields. Often solitary and easily flushed from muddy margins.
Jun–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common year-round resident in gardens and hedgerows, though numbers have declined sharply due to trichomonosis disease since the mid-2000s.
Year-round
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
An uncommon but year-round presence on Hampshire's estuaries and harbours. Most frequently encountered during autumn passage on coastal mudflats.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common year-round resident, breeding in heronries across the county. Easily seen along rivers, lakes, and garden ponds.
Year-round
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
An uncommon but year-round presence on coastal mudflats. Numbers peak in winter along the Solent and harbour estuaries.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found along Hampshire's streams and rivers year-round. Bobs its tail constantly while foraging on rocks and weirs.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
An uncommon year-round resident on lakes, reservoirs, and river meadows. Feral populations breed alongside other geese.
Year-round
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
A rare and elusive resident, with the New Forest being a national stronghold. Best looked for in winter around hornbeam and yew trees.
Oct–Jun
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common resident closely tied to urban and suburban areas. Hampshire populations have declined but remain widespread around towns and villages.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in church towers, old trees and chimneys. Often seen in noisy flocks with rooks over farmland.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A familiar year-round resident, often seen hovering over Hampshire's downland, roadside verges, and farmland while hunting for voles and small mammals.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, often seen at landfill sites, playing fields, and coastal roosts. Numbers increase in summer.
Year-round
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
A rare and declining resident of Hampshire's broadleaved woodlands. Best detected by its high-pitched call in early spring before the canopy fills in.
Jan–May
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of Hampshire's farmland, heaths, and coastal scrub. Forms sociable flocks outside the breeding season, often along the coast.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident after colonising in the 1990s. Easily seen along Hampshire's estuaries, harbours and coastal marshes year-round.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident on sheltered ponds, lakes, and slow-flowing rivers. Its distinctive whinnying call often reveals its presence.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Commonly seen in noisy family flocks moving through hedgerows and woodland edges. A charming year-round resident across the county.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A bold and conspicuous resident, abundant in gardens, parks, and farmland across Hampshire. Easily recognised by its striking black-and-white plumage.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Abundant and familiar year-round on rivers, ponds, lakes and estuaries across Hampshire. Readily seen in parks and gardens.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare but year-round resident, favouring wooded lakes and rivers. The New Forest and surrounding estates offer suitable habitat.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
An uncommon resident of mature deciduous woodland, particularly in the New Forest. Declining nationally but still holds territory in Hampshire.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of open grassland and heathland, particularly the New Forest. Numbers increase in winter with birds from upland areas.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, often singing from tall treetops even in midwinter. Favours parkland and woodland edges across the county.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Common and widespread on ponds, rivers and ditches throughout Hampshire all year. Frequently seen in parks and gardens near water.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A common and elegant resident gracing rivers, lakes, and harbours throughout the county all year round.
Year-round
Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentilisLC
A rare and secretive resident of Hampshire's larger forests, including the New Forest. A recovering species, slowly increasing in the county.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Present year-round on farmland and coastal marshes. Winter flocks gather on fields, though breeding numbers on Hampshire's farmland continue to decline.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An elegant dabbling duck found mainly in winter on coastal marshes and estuaries. The Solent harbours hold important flocks.
Sep–May
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
An uncommon resident found on shallow lakes and marshes year-round. Numbers increase in winter at key wetland sites.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, nesting on tall structures in towns like Winchester and Southampton. Hunts over estuaries and open ground.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Present year-round on lakes and reservoirs but declining nationally. Winter numbers are supplemented by continental birds at sites like Blashford Lakes.
Year-round
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
A rare but resident finch of the New Forest's conifer plantations. Irruptive movements bring variable numbers; its crossed bill is adapted for extracting pine seeds.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now regularly soaring over Hampshire's downs and farmland. Part of the successful UK reintroduction programme.
Year-round
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare wader found on Hampshire's coastal mudflats, mainly in winter. Small flocks occur in the Solent harbours, with a brief absence in early summer.
Jul–May
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
A scarce resident of open arable farmland and chalk downland. Populations are largely sustained by releases, and sightings remain infrequent.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Common on Hampshire's coastal marshes and estuaries throughout the year. Breeds on saltmarshes and its piping call is a familiar harbour sound.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon resident of reedbeds, wet meadows and scrubby ditches. Found at key wetland sites across Hampshire throughout the year.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
An uncommon resident found on coastal shingle and estuarine mudflats. Breeds on Hampshire's beaches but faces pressure from disturbance.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
A common year-round resident in Hampshire's towns and cities, where feral populations thrive on buildings and coastal cliffs alike.
Year-round
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
An uncommon resident found along Hampshire's rocky and shingle coastline. Forages among seaweed and rocks on the Solent shore year-round.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Common across Hampshire's farmland, nesting in noisy rookeries in tall trees. Large flocks forage in arable fields and pastures year-round.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
An uncommon but year-round resident along Hampshire's rocky and shingle shorelines, often seen flipping seaweed on the Solent coast.
Year-round
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
A rare but regular visitor to sandy shores along the Hampshire coast, mostly seen outside summer. Often found in small flocks on open beaches.
Aug–May
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Present year-round along the Solent and harbours, with numbers peaking in spring and late summer. Often seen plunge-diving for fish.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A familiar garden and woodland resident, often heard singing from treetops. Readily identified by its habit of smashing snail shells on favourite stone anvils.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, hunting small birds in woodland, hedgerows and gardens. Often detected by panicked alarm calls of prey.
Year-round
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Present most of the year at coastal estuaries and harbours, though rare. Best looked for at Keyhaven and the Solent mudflats.
Jun–Apr
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common year-round resident of Hampshire's woodlands, parkland and farmland. Often overlooked but identified by its distinctive cooing and black wing-bars.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
A common year-round resident of Hampshire's heathlands and gorse-covered coastal areas. Often perches prominently, flicking its tail.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A resident of mature woodland, more often heard than seen. Its familiar hooting call carries through Hampshire's woods on still nights.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Resident in Hampshire's mature broadleaved woodlands, spiralling up tree trunks in search of insects. Easiest to locate by its high-pitched descending song in spring.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Frequents freshwater lakes and gravel pits across Hampshire year-round, with notable gatherings at sites like Blashford Lakes and Alresford Pond.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
A secretive year-round resident of Hampshire's reedbeds and marshes. More often heard than seen, with its pig-like squealing call betraying its presence.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon resident quartering over Hampshire's reedbeds and coastal marshes. Breeds at key wetland sites and is increasingly seen year-round.
Year-round
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
An uncommon visitor to Hampshire's open downland and coastal grassland during spring and autumn passage, with a gap in midsummer. Bobs and flits across short turf.
Mar–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
An uncommon passage wader, most often seen on coastal mudflats and harbours during spring and autumn migration, with distinctive seven-note whistling call.
Apr–Jan
Woodlark
Lullula arboreaLC
A rare breeding bird found on the heathlands of the New Forest. Its melodious song can be heard from February as birds establish territories.
Feb–Nov
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant year-round resident found in virtually every habitat across Hampshire. Large flocks gather on farmland in autumn and winter.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, most often seen from late summer through winter among mixed gull flocks at tips and coastal roosts.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon resident of Hampshire's farmland hedgerows and field margins. Its bright yellow head and distinctive song are characteristic of arable countryside.
Year-round
Breeding
(23)
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
A common summer visitor breeding in barns and outbuildings across the county. Arrives from March and gathers in large pre-migration flocks by autumn.
Mar–Oct
Black Swan
Cygnus atratusLC
A rare introduced breeder, occasionally seen on lakes and ornamental waters. Most records fall between spring and summer.
Jan–Jul
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, favouring mature oak woodland in the New Forest. Males flash their orange-red tails from perches.
Apr–Sep
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
An uncommon summer breeder in reedbeds and waterside vegetation, arriving in April. Titchfield Haven and the Test valley are key sites.
Apr–Sep
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
A common breeding visitor screaming over Hampshire's towns and villages from late April to September. Nests in older buildings and church towers.
Apr–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon summer breeder from April to October, nesting on shingle islands and rafts at coastal and inland sites.
Apr–Oct
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare breeding bird on Hampshire's chalk downland, having suffered severe national decline. Singing males favour open arable fields in spring.
Mar–Jul
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
An uncommon summer visitor heard calling across heathland and woodland from April to July. Declining nationally, but still breeds in Hampshire's wilder habitats.
Apr–Jul
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
A rare passage wader seen on coastal pools and mudflats, mainly in late summer and autumn. Hampshire's harbours attract small numbers annually.
Apr–Oct
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
An unobtrusive summer breeder found in dense woodland understorey and overgrown hedgerows. Present from April to September, best located by its rich warbling song.
Apr–Sep
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
A scarce summer breeder arriving in April, favouring heathland and woodland edges in the New Forest. Agile in flight, often catching dragonflies on the wing.
Apr–Oct
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A declining summer visitor nesting under the eaves of houses and farm buildings. Present from April to October, often seen feeding over villages and wetlands.
Apr–Oct
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
A rare summer breeder favouring tall hedgerows and scrubby woodland edges. Its rattling song is heard from April, departing by September.
Apr–Sep
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
An uncommon summer breeder from March to September, nesting on gravel pits and reservoir margins across Hampshire.
Mar–Sep
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
A scarce summer breeder on shingle beaches along the Hampshire coast, notably at Hurst Spit. Vulnerable to disturbance and habitat loss.
Apr–Sep
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Seen offshore from April to October, often passing the Solent coast. A spectacular plunge-diver best spotted from headlands.
Apr–Oct
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
A rare breeding bird, with reintroduction efforts boosting numbers. Seen fishing at lakes and reservoirs from spring through autumn.
Apr–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in sandy riverbanks and gravel pits. Often seen hawking insects over Hampshire's lakes and waterways from spring to early autumn.
Mar–Oct
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
An uncommon summer breeder found in reedbeds and waterside scrub at sites like Titchfield Haven and the Blashford Lakes from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding on Hampshire's heathlands and open woodland. Delivers its distinctive song during a parachuting display flight.
Apr–Sep
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
A common summer visitor arriving in April, singing from hedgerows and scrubby farmland edges across the county. Departs by September for sub-Saharan Africa.
Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
An uncommon and declining summer breeder favouring scrubby heathland and woodland edges, particularly in the New Forest. Present from March to October.
Mar–Oct
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
An uncommon and declining summer breeder found in damp meadows and arable fields. Arrives from April and departs by October.
Apr–Oct
Non-breeding
(11)
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor from Scandinavia, sometimes joining Chaffinch flocks in Hampshire's beech woodlands and farmland. Numbers vary greatly between years.
Oct–Apr
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare winter visitor to the Solent and larger harbours, occasionally lingering into early spring. Known locally as Great Northern Diver.
Oct–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
A winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving from October and lingering into April. Flocks roam Hampshire's hedgerows and fields feeding on berries and fallen fruit.
Oct–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
An uncommon winter visitor to Hampshire's reservoirs and gravel pits from November to April. Males display a striking white face patch.
Nov–Apr
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare winter visitor from December to April. Occasionally found on sheltered coastal waters and larger inland lakes.
Dec–Apr
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
A non-breeding visitor to Hampshire's harbours and estuaries from autumn through spring. Favours the sheltered waters of Langstone and Chichester Harbours.
Oct–Apr
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Hampshire's coastal waters, occasionally seen offshore from the Solent in winter and early spring.
Nov–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor arriving from Scandinavia in October. Feeds in hedgerows and on berry-laden bushes across Hampshire's farmland and parks until spring.
Oct–Apr
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, occasionally seen in parks and gardens. Hampshire lies on the edge of the expanding south-east England population.
Aug–Apr
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to coastal marshes and flooded fields, most likely seen during autumn passage and winter months.
Aug–Apr
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
A rare winter visitor to Hampshire's watercress beds and wet meadows, present from November to April. Easily overlooked among Meadow Pipits.
Nov–Apr
Passage
(7)
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
A rare spring passage migrant seen offshore from Hampshire's coast, typically during April and May seawatching sessions at sites like Hurst Castle.
Apr–May
Bar-headed Goose
Anser indicusLC
A rare passage bird of likely captive origin, occasionally noted in spring and summer on lakes and reservoirs.
Apr–Jun
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Rarely seen from Hampshire shores, occasionally passing offshore in spring. Breeds on cliffs further west along the English coast.
Apr
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
A rare spring passage migrant from March to May. Favours shallow wetlands and flooded meadows on passage.
Mar–May
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare passage visitor in April, more often heard than seen. Its insect-like reeling song carries from dense scrub and rough grassland.
Apr
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
A rare passage visitor, most likely in spring and late autumn. Occasionally seen at coastal lagoons and harbours along the Solent.
Nov–May
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchosLC
A rare passage visitor in April and May, with declining numbers. Dense scrubby woodland in the county's river valleys offers the best chance.
Apr–May