Birds to See in Isle of Wight in December
121 species matching this filter.
The Isle of Wight offers rewarding birdwatching throughout December, with around 121 species recorded across its diverse coastal, estuarine, and woodland habitats. Winter visitors such as Fieldfare and Blackcap join resident favourites like Great Tit and European Green Woodpecker, while the island's sheltered harbours and mudflats attract waders like Greenshank and wildfowl including Common Shelduck and Little Grebe. The island's mild maritime climate makes it a reliable destination for winter birding, with European Shag and Common Starling among the many species easily spotted along the coastline.
New in December16
Resident
(96)
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, likely originating from feral populations. Occasionally seen grazing coastal fields and marshes alongside other geese.
Oct–Aug
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
An uncommon year-round resident of estuarine mudflats, with the Newtown and Brading marshes being key feeding sites.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
One of the island's most familiar birds, abundant in gardens, hedgerows and woodland year-round. Its rich, melodious song is a constant backdrop.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Present year-round in woodland and gardens, boosted in winter by continental migrants. Its rich warbling song fills the island's copses from spring.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common resident found in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland throughout the island. A regular and welcome visitor to bird feeders year-round.
Year-round
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Common on sheltered harbours and estuaries, especially around Newtown and the north coast. Dark-bellied birds winter in good numbers.
Sep–Jun
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of hedgerows, orchards, and woodland edges. Its soft piping call often betrays its presence.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common resident, frequently seen soaring over the island's downs and farmland throughout the year.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Common and widespread year-round on lakes, rivers and marshes. Large flocks gather on grassland and at sites like Newtown.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable year-round resident, widespread across the island's towns, farms, and coastline.
Year-round
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly regular resident, reflecting its northward range expansion. Often found near livestock in lowland fields across the island.
May–Mar
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
A common resident of reedbeds and dense waterside scrub. Its explosive burst of song from deep cover is heard year-round on the island.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common and widespread resident, found in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens across the island throughout the year.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common year-round resident whose distinctive two-note song is one of the earliest signs of spring in the island's woods and gardens.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon year-round resident, favouring coniferous and mixed woodland across the island. Often visits garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon resident found along the island's coasts and estuaries, present most of the year but scarce during June.
Jul–May
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but dazzling year-round resident along the island's rivers and sheltered coastal creeks.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Common and widespread across farmland, woodland edges and hedgerows year-round. Regularly released for shooting on the island.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Now a common resident after recolonising the island, frequently seen soaring along the dramatic chalk cliffs and downland ridges.
Year-round
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare sea duck, occasionally seen in small groups offshore during winter and spring, especially in the eastern Solent.
Dec–May
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon year-round resident breeding on estuaries and mudflats. Newtown Harbour and the Eastern Yar are favoured sites.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident across the island, often gathering in large, swirling winter roosts. Numbers have declined nationally, making local flocks increasingly notable.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Common and resident on the island's freshwater lakes and reservoirs, often gathering in large flocks outside the breeding season.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Present year-round on estuaries and farmland, its evocative call a signature sound of the island's coast. Winter numbers boosted by continental birds.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
An uncommon but year-round presence on the island's estuaries and mudflats, often seen in small flocks probing the shoreline.
Jul–May
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common but unobtrusive resident of hedgerows and garden shrubbery across the island, best detected by its thin, warbling song.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An uncommon but increasing non-native resident, found around freshwater lakes and parkland. Absent during late summer moult period.
Oct–Jul
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Resident in towns, villages and farmsteads across the island, its monotonous three-note call a familiar sound year-round.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A common resident of the island's woodlands and copses, often heard giving its harsh screeching call before being seen amongst the oaks.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Common year-round on the island's estuaries and rocky shores, with its piping call a characteristic coastal sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common resident of the island's chalk downland and farmland. Its soaring song flight is a familiar sound over open grasslands.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Common on the island's estuaries and flooded grasslands from autumn through spring, with large flocks gathering on the Newtown and Medina estuaries.
Sep–May
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common and vocal resident found in virtually every habitat with dense cover, from woodland to coastal scrub and island gardens.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful year-round resident, often seen in chattering flocks feeding on teasels and thistles across the island.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Common year-round in parkland, orchards, and woodland edges. Its loud laughing call is a familiar island sound.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common and conspicuous resident found around harbours, cliffs and towns across the island throughout the year.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
One of the island's most familiar garden birds, present all year. Its sweet, wistful song can be heard even through the winter months.
Year-round
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelisLC
An uncommon year-round resident breeding on the island's dramatic chalk cliffs, especially around the Needles.
Year-round
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
A rare year-round resident found in coniferous and mixed woodland. Its bold orange crown stripe distinguishes it from the commoner Goldcrest.
Year-round
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Breeds on the island's dramatic chalk cliffs, particularly around Freshwater Bay. Absent from the coast in late autumn.
Dec–Sep
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
An uncommon resident found on freshwater lakes and marshes year-round. Brading Marshes and similar wetlands offer the best chances.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
An uncommon resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, this tiny bird is easily overlooked despite its high-pitched call among the island's trees.
Aug–Jun
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
The largest resident gull, a powerful predator found year-round along the island's coastline and at harbours. Breeds on cliffs and rooftops.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common resident seen perched on harbour posts and rocky outcrops, often drying its wings along the island's coastline.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
An elegant resident of larger lakes and reservoirs, performing its elaborate head-shaking courtship display in spring. Also seen in coastal waters in winter.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident of the island's woodlands and mature gardens, heard drumming from late winter onwards.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common and bold garden visitor year-round, readily using nest boxes. Its loud 'teacher-teacher' call is heard across the island.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of the island's wetlands and estuaries, part of a growing population spreading across southern England.
Year-round
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common year-round resident of gardens and farmland hedgerows, though island numbers have declined in recent years due to disease.
Year-round
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
An uncommon but year-round presence on estuaries and tidal creeks, often feeding alone on mudflats with its distinctive upturned bill.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common year-round resident, easily spotted along the island's rivers, estuaries, and marshes.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found near the island's streams and waterways, its bright yellow underparts and bobbing tail distinctive by flowing water.
Sep–Jun
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
An uncommon resident found on freshwater marshes and grazing fields. Feral populations breed locally, with numbers boosted in autumn.
Sep–Jul
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common year-round resident, thriving in the island's towns and villages. Noisy colonies nest under eaves and in hedgerows.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in the island's church towers, old buildings, and cliff faces.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A common resident hovering over the island's farmland, downland and coastal cliffs throughout the year.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, often seen on the island's beaches, harbours, and farmland throughout all seasons.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of the island's gorse-covered downland and coastal scrub, often seen in twittering flocks along clifftop paths.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
A common and elegant resident of the island's estuaries and marshes, now well established after colonising southern England in the 1990s.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A small, unobtrusive resident of ponds, lakes and sheltered waterways, often betrayed by its distinctive whinnying call.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common resident found year-round in hedgerows, woodlands and gardens, often seen in lively, acrobatic family flocks moving through the island's copses.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident found in gardens, hedgerows, and farmland across the island.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Common and widespread year-round on virtually any waterbody, from village ponds to coastal marshes and estuaries across the island.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common year-round resident of the island's downland, heathland, and rough grassland. Numbers swell in autumn with passage migrants.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, often heard singing boldly from tall trees in parkland and open woodland even in midwinter.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident of ponds, streams, and marshes across the island, often seen picking its way along vegetated waterside edges.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A familiar sight year-round on the island's rivers, ponds and estuaries. Breeds on freshwater sites and often seen on the Eastern Yar.
Year-round
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Seen year-round plunge-diving offshore, especially from the island's southern cliffs. Most conspicuous during autumn passage.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common resident of farmland and wet meadows, with winter flocks swelling on fields across the island. A declining breeder nationally.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
An uncommon resident of shallow freshwater wetlands, using its distinctive broad bill to filter-feed. Numbers peak in winter.
Aug–Jun
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident nesting on the island's sea cliffs and sometimes hunting over estuaries.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
A rare resident found on freshwater lakes and reservoirs, most likely at sites like Brading Marshes. Numbers have declined significantly across the UK.
Oct–Aug
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
A rare resident seen offshore, particularly from the island's southern cliffs. Most visible in winter and spring on the open sea.
Oct–Jun
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
A rare resident of arable farmland and open downland. This introduced gamebird is far less numerous here than on the mainland.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
A common resident of the island's estuaries and saltmarshes, easily recognised by its loud piping calls and bright orange-red legs.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of the island's reedbeds and marshy areas, the male's black head and white moustache are distinctive.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
An uncommon resident breeding on shingle beaches and sandy shores. Passage birds boost numbers in spring and autumn.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Present year-round on coastal cliffs and in towns. Feral populations mix with truly wild birds along the island's chalk ledges.
Year-round
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
An uncommon resident of the island's rocky shores and sea cliffs, foraging among seaweed-covered rocks year-round at sites like the Needles.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Noisy rookeries are a familiar sight in the island's farmland trees. A common resident, often seen foraging in flocks across arable fields.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
An uncommon but reliable shorebird, foraging on rocky coasts and seaweed-strewn beaches outside the breeding season.
Jul–Apr
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
An uncommon resident seen plunge-diving in the Solent and off island beaches, present year-round.
Year-round
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
A rare resident of open downland and marshes, seen sporadically through the year but absent in some months.
Oct–Jun
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common year-round resident whose melodious, repeated phrases ring out from island gardens and hedgerows, especially at dawn in spring.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
A resident raptor found in woodlands and gardens across the island year-round, often seen dashing through hedgerows after small birds.
Year-round
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
A rare but regular visitor to the island's estuaries, most likely at Newtown or Brading during autumn passage.
Jul–Mar
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A resident breeder found year-round in farmland, parkland and woodland edges, though less conspicuous than the ubiquitous Woodpigeon.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident of coastal gorse and heathland, often perching prominently on bushes along the island's clifftop paths year-round.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
A rare resident, spiralling up tree trunks in the island's mature woodlands. Easily missed due to its cryptic plumage and quiet habits.
May–Mar
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
An uncommon resident on freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Breeds locally and can be found diving for invertebrates year-round.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
A secretive resident of reedbeds and marshy ditches, more often heard squealing than seen. Numbers bolstered in winter by continental arrivals.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon resident quartering over island reedbeds and marshes year-round, notably at Brading Marshes.
Year-round
White-tailed Sea-eagle
Haliaeetus albicillaLC
Part of the high-profile reintroduction programme; these impressive raptors now roam the island year-round.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found island-wide in woodland, farmland and gardens throughout the year, with numbers boosted by autumn migrants.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally spotted among other gulls at coastal sites during April and August.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on the island's farmland edges and hedgerows, its bright yellow head a flash of colour along downland tracks.
Year-round
Non-breeding
(20)
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare winter visitor to coastal waters, occasionally seen diving in the Solent and around island headlands from December to April.
Dec–Apr
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to wet meadows and marshes, probing soft ground with its long bill from autumn through to spring.
Aug–Apr
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
A rare winter visitor from September to April, feeding in alder and birch trees along the island's river valleys and woodland edges.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to island estuaries and marshes, increasingly recorded as the UK population grows.
Nov–Jun
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
An uncommon winter visitor arriving from Scandinavia from October, feeding in flocks on berry-laden hedgerows and open farmland.
Oct–Mar
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to ploughed fields and coastal grassland from autumn to spring. Flocks favour open downland.
Sep–Apr
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
A rare non-breeding visitor in midwinter, occasionally joining flocks of other geese on coastal grazing marshes and fields.
Dec–Mar
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to mudflats and estuaries, present from autumn through spring in smart silver-grey winter plumage.
Sep–Apr
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
A rare winter visitor from December to February, occasionally mixing with Carrion Crow flocks.
Dec–Feb
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
A rare winter visitor to sheltered bays and harbours, most likely seen in the Solent between December and February.
Dec–Feb
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A secretive winter visitor to marshy areas and wet meadows, rarely flushed from cover in the island's wetlands between December and February.
Dec–Feb
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare non-breeding visitor in late autumn and winter. This colourful duck occasionally wanders to the island from mainland populations.
Nov–Jan
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon winter visitor to the island's estuaries and harbours, with elegant long-necked silhouettes on sheltered mudflats from autumn through early spring.
Sep–Mar
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
A rare winter visitor to rocky shorelines and harbour walls, occasionally found at the island's more exposed coastal sites.
Dec–Feb
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare non-breeding visitor to the island's mudflats and estuaries, most likely encountered in winter months among other wader flocks.
Aug–Mar
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to sheltered coastal waters from autumn to spring. Often seen diving in harbours and estuaries.
Oct–Apr
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
A rare winter visitor to sheltered coastal waters, occasionally seen in the Solent from December to February.
Dec–Feb
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
An uncommon winter visitor arriving from October, foraging in hedgerows and fields. Often found alongside Fieldfares in berry-laden bushes.
Oct–Mar
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor, scurrying along sandy beaches and shorelines from late summer through winter in its pale plumage.
Aug–Mar
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescensLC
A rare winter visitor, with sightings most likely involving escapees from captive collections rather than genuine wild vagrants.
Oct–Jan
Passage
(5)
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
A rare winter passage visitor, occasionally spotted offshore in the Solent or around the island's coast during January and December.
Dec–Jan
Black Swan
Cygnus atratusLC
A rare passage record, likely an escapee from a captive collection. This Australian native is not established in the wild here.
Dec
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded in May and December. This declining farmland species no longer breeds on the island.
Dec–May
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded in February and December on sheltered freshwater or coastal waters.
Dec–Feb
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
A rare passage visitor in late winter and early spring, favouring watercress beds and marshy margins. Easily overlooked among Rock Pipits.
Dec–Mar