Birds in Isle of Wight
Explore 186 species found in this region.
The Isle of Wight is a remarkable destination for birdwatching, with 185 recorded species thriving across its diverse mosaic of coastal estuaries, chalk downland, ancient woodland, and farmland habitats. The island's sheltered harbours and mudflats attract wading birds such as Northern Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, and Greenshank, while its rural heartland supports iconic species including Barn Owl, Great Tit, and Eurasian Woodcock. Whether you're scanning the shoreline for Common Shelduck or listening for the chatter of Magpies and Common Starlings in the hedgerows, the Isle of Wight offers year-round birding opportunities.
Visiting in April? Look out for Avocet and Bar-tailed Godwit arriving this month, and Cattle Egret and Eider depart for the season.
Showing 93–115 of 186 species
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
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
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
An elegant summer breeder, arriving in May and hunting dragonflies over heathland and wetlands until autumn departure.
May–Oct
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
A rare winter visitor from December to February, occasionally mixing with Carrion Crow flocks.
Dec–Feb
Hoopoe
Upupa epopsLC
A rare but exciting spring and late-summer visitor, occasionally found on short turf or lawns probing for insects.
Apr–Aug
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
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
An uncommon breeding visitor from March to October, nesting under eaves in towns and villages. Numbers have declined in recent decades.
Mar–Oct
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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
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
Jackdaw
Coloeus 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
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Breeds in small numbers on the island's chalk cliffs at Freshwater. Numbers have declined sharply in recent years.
Aug–Jun
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
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, favouring dense hedgerows and scrubby thickets across the island before departing by September.
Apr–Sep
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
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
A rare passage migrant, occasionally spotted from coastal vantage points in March and November among flocks of other gulls and terns.
Nov–Mar
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A rare August visitor; this small owl is scarce on the island, with only occasional sightings recorded.
Aug
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
A rare spring passage migrant in March and April, favouring gravel shores and freshwater margins on the island.
Mar–Apr
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
A rare passage visitor in May, occasionally seen fishing over shallow coastal waters and shingle beaches around the island.
May
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
A rare and elusive passage visitor, very occasionally recorded in woodland and scrub on the island during summer.
Jun