Uncommon Birds in Hampshire
68 species matching this filter.
Hampshire is home to a rich variety of birdlife, with 68 species classified as uncommon across the county's diverse habitats. From the coastal mudflats of the Solent, where elegant Avocets and Greenshanks probe the shallows, to the ancient woodlands of the New Forest echoing with the calls of European Green Woodpeckers and Garden Warblers, the county offers rewarding opportunities for patient birdwatchers. Species such as Bullfinch, Fieldfare, and Common Reed-warbler can also be encountered in hedgerows, open farmland, and reedbeds throughout the region.
Showing 1–23 of 68 species
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
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
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
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
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
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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 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 Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Found year-round along rivers, reservoirs and coastal margins, bobbing characteristically on rocks. Numbers peak during autumn passage.
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 Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon summer breeder from April to October, nesting on shingle islands and rafts at coastal and inland sites.
Apr–Oct
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
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
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 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
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