Rare Birds in Lancashire
90 species matching this filter.
Lancashire's diverse landscapes — from the sweeping mudflats of Morecambe Bay to the upland moors of the Forest of Bowland and the wooded river valleys in between — provide habitat for a surprising variety of rare bird species. Around 90 species are classified as rare across the county, including elusive residents such as Barn Owl and Little Owl, scarce breeders like Grasshopper Warbler and Garden Warbler, and passage visitors such as Arctic Jaeger and Dotterel. Whether you're scanning coastal cliffs for European Shag and Kittiwake or listening for the reeling song of a Grasshopper Warbler in a reedbed, Lancashire offers rewarding birding for those willing to seek out its less common species.
Showing 1–23 of 90 species
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
A rare autumn passage migrant in August and September, best seen during seawatches from coastal headlands, harrying terns for food.
Aug–Sep
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
A rare breeding visitor from April to August, nesting at a few coastal sites. Best looked for along the Ribble Estuary.
Apr–Aug
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare but year-round presence on the Ribble Estuary and Morecambe Bay mudflats. Numbers peak during autumn passage and winter.
Year-round
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare year-round resident, hunting over farmland and rough grassland. Often spotted at dusk along quiet Lancashire lanes.
Year-round
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, with feral birds present year-round. Small numbers frequent the Ribble Estuary and surrounding coastal grasslands.
May–Mar
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
A rare resident of Lancashire's reedbeds, with Leighton Moss RSPB reserve being the key stronghold. Listen for distinctive pinging calls in the reeds.
Year-round
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
A rare passage visitor in midwinter, occasionally seen around industrial sites and coastal buildings. A scarce but regular Lancashire record.
Jan–Feb
Black Tern
Chlidonias nigerLC
A rare passage migrant, occasionally spotted over reservoirs and wetlands in May and September during migration.
May–Sep
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Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
A rare passage visitor in July and August, occasionally turning up on reservoirs and sheltered pools during post-breeding dispersal.
Jul–Aug
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor from Scandinavia, occasionally joining Chaffinch flocks in beech woodland and at garden feeders from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
A rare winter visitor to Lancashire's estuaries, occasionally seen on the Ribble or Morecambe Bay mudflats between December and February.
Dec–Feb
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, reflecting a northward range expansion. Typically associates with grazing livestock on lowland pastures.
Year-round
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Known locally as Great Northern Diver, a rare passage visitor occasionally seen offshore or in Morecambe Bay in December.
Dec
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnixLC
A rare and elusive passage visitor, occasionally heard calling from arable fields in June but very seldom seen.
Jun
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare resident, occasionally seen in birch and alder woodland across the county. Numbers may fluctuate with winter influxes from the Continent.
Year-round
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
A rare summer breeder found in mature oak woodland, mainly in the eastern upland valleys. The male's fiery orange breast is unmistakable.
Apr–Aug
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Rare but recorded year-round, sometimes seen in small rafts offshore in Liverpool Bay and off the Fylde coast.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare and declining resident of Lancashire's arable farmland, now largely restricted to scattered lowland sites. Severely reduced from its former range.
Nov–Jul
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
A scarce autumn passage migrant from July to October, occasionally turning up on coastal pools and estuarine margins.
Jul–Oct
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
A rare but charismatic resident of fast-flowing streams in the Bowland fells and Pennine valleys, bobbing on rocks in clear upland waters.
Dec–Oct
Dotterel
Eudromias morinellusLC
A rare and elusive passage migrant, occasionally stopping on Pendle Hill or Bowland Fells in May during spring migration.
May
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
A rare resident along the Lancashire coast, occasionally seen off Morecambe Bay. Numbers have declined significantly in recent decades.
Year-round
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare but increasingly regular breeder from May to September, favouring marshes and estuaries such as the Ribble.
May–Sep