Birds in Herefordshire
Explore 138 species found in this region.
Herefordshire is a richly diverse county for birdwatching, with 138 recorded species thriving across its patchwork of rolling farmland, ancient orchards, river valleys, and wooded hillsides. The River Wye and its tributaries attract species such as the Common Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper, while the county's meadows and hedgerows support birds like the European Green Woodpecker and Eurasian Collared Dove. From wintering wildfowl such as the Eurasian Wigeon and Goldeneye to the elusive call of the Common Quail in summer, Herefordshire offers rewarding birding throughout the year.
Visiting in April? Look out for Barn Owl and Barn Swallow arriving this month, and Cetti's Warbler and Common Gull depart for the season.
Showing 116–138 of 138 species
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
An uncommon summer breeder in reedbeds and waterside scrub along the county's rivers and pools, arriving from April.
Apr–Aug
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common year-round resident, singing its rich repeated phrases from hedgerows and gardens across the county.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, hunting small birds through woodland edges, hedgerows, and gardens year-round.
Year-round
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
A declining summer visitor arriving in May, favouring mature parkland, churchyards and woodland edges where it sallies for insects from exposed perches.
May–Sep
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common resident of farmland, parkland, and old orchards, nesting in tree holes throughout the county year-round.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
A rare resident found on rough grassland and gorse-covered commons. Often perches prominently, flicking its tail and giving a sharp call.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
An uncommon but widespread resident of mature woodlands and parkland, more often heard than seen with its familiar hooting call at dusk.
Year-round
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
A rare and declining summer breeder on heathy hillsides and woodland edges, performing its distinctive parachuting song flight.
Apr–Aug
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Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, spiralling up tree trunks in mature woodland and parkland across the county.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
An uncommon resident on deeper lakes and pools, with numbers bolstered in winter. Breeds locally at suitable still-water sites.
Aug–Jun
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
A secretive rare visitor to reedbeds and marshy margins, most likely encountered in winter and during passage.
Oct–Mar
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
A rare breeder on open hillsides along the county's western uplands from April to September, favouring short-grazed pasture and stone walls.
Apr–Sep
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
A rare passage migrant glimpsed briefly in spring and late summer on rough grassland and upland margins of the county.
May–Jul
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
A common summer breeder, singing from hedgerows and scrubby field margins from April. Departs by late August.
Apr–Aug
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
An uncommon passage visitor, occasionally seen in December on flooded meadows along the Wye and Lugg valleys.
Dec
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
A rare and rapidly declining resident of damp woodland with standing deadwood. One of the UK's most threatened species.
Mar–Oct
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
An uncommon summer breeder in woodland edges and scrubby hillsides, arriving from March. Its gentle descending song is a sign of spring.
Mar–Oct
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
A rare autumn passage wader, occasionally stopping at muddy pool margins in August and September on its southward migration.
Aug–Sep
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC
A rare breeding visitor to Herefordshire's sessile oak woodlands from April to June, recognised by its shimmering, accelerating trill.
Apr–Jun
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found in farmland, woodland and gardens throughout the county. Large flocks gather on arable fields in autumn and winter.
Year-round
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
A rare and declining summer breeder, found in lowland pastures and arable fields near the Lugg and Wye floodplains from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare spring passage visitor, occasionally noted among commoner gull flocks at tips and reservoirs in March.
Mar
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon but characteristic resident of the county's hedgerows and arable margins, singing its distinctive song from exposed perches year-round.
Year-round