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 47–68 of 68 species
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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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 Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
A declining summer visitor arriving in May, favouring woodland edges and mature gardens. Sallies out from exposed perches to catch flying insects.
May–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
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
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
An uncommon passage migrant seen on Hampshire's heaths and coastal scrub in spring and autumn. Perches prominently on fences and low bushes.
May–Oct
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
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