Rare Birds in Leicestershire

70 species matching this filter.

All birds in Leicestershire

Leicestershire may be a landlocked county in the heart of England, but its diverse mix of reservoirs, farmland, woodland and heathland supports an impressive array of rare bird species. Around 70 species are classified as rare in the county, including elusive residents such as Barn Owl and Little Owl, secretive breeders like Grasshopper Warbler, and scarce visitors including Black-necked Grebe, Greenshank and Green Sandpiper. Key sites such as Rutland Water, Eyebrook Reservoir and Charnwood Forest provide vital habitats that attract these uncommon species throughout the year.

Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed WarblerSmallest · 10cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
Ranges from the Yellow-browed Warbler (10cm) to the Whooper Swan (165cm)24 families represented11 year-round residents

Showing 24–46 of 70 species

Great Black-backed Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinusLC

Present year-round but rarely encountered, occasionally seen at reservoirs and landfill sites. The largest British gull, dwarfing commoner species.

Year-round

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greater Scaup

Greater Scaup

Aythya marilaLC

A rare winter visitor to larger water bodies, sometimes associating with Tufted Duck flocks on reservoirs from October to March.

Oct–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifronsLC

A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up on flooded fields or reservoirs in December and January.

Dec–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

A rare but year-round visitor to muddy pools, ditches and reservoir margins. Often bobs conspicuously when flushed.

Mar–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greenshank

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

A rare autumn passage wader, seen at reservoirs and gravel pits from July to September. Elegant and vocal, often feeding along muddy shorelines.

Jul–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Partridge

Grey Partridge

Perdix perdixLC

A rare and declining farmland bird, now very scarce across Leicestershire's arable fields.

Jan–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Hawfinch

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC

A rare and elusive passage visitor in October and November. Occasionally irrupts into the county, favouring hornbeam and cherry trees.

Oct–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Jack Snipe

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimusLC

A rare and secretive passage visitor, skulking in marshy margins at wetland sites in autumn and winter.

Oct–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Little Gull

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutusLC

A rare spring passage visitor, occasionally seen over reservoirs in April. Its buoyant, tern-like flight distinguishes it from other gulls.

Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Owl

Little Owl

Athene noctuaLC

A rare and declining visitor, occasionally noted around farmland with old hedgerow trees in spring and early summer.

Apr–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalisVU

A rare passage visitor, with occasional records on larger reservoirs during late autumn and late winter.

Nov–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Marsh Tit

Marsh Tit

Poecile palustrisLC

A rare visitor, mainly to mature deciduous woodland on the county's fringes. Leicestershire sits at the edge of its core English range.

Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Anas acutaLC

A rare but elegant winter visitor to reservoirs and gravel pits, present from autumn through to early spring in small numbers.

Sep–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Osprey

Osprey

Pandion haliaetusLC

A rare breeder, with Rutland Water hosting one of England's key reintroduction successes. Present from spring to early autumn at larger water bodies.

Apr–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotosLC

A rare Nearctic vagrant, occasionally appearing at muddy reservoir edges during autumn passage in September.

Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pink-footed Goose

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchusLC

A rare winter visitor, with small flocks occasionally seen over the county in January, February, and November, often during cold weather movements.

Nov–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red Crossbill

Red Crossbill

Loxia curvirostraLC

A rare and irruptive resident, most likely seen in conifer plantations like those in Charnwood Forest from late summer to autumn.

Jul–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serratorLC

A rare passage visitor, occasionally noted on reservoirs in November. Primarily a coastal species, making inland sightings noteworthy.

Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-crested Pochard

Red-crested Pochard

Netta rufinaLC

A rare non-breeding visitor to reservoirs and gravel pits, mainly in autumn and winter. Origins often uncertain.

Sep–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatusLC

A rare passage migrant, exceptionally scarce inland. June records likely involve birds on northward passage.

Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Redshank

Redshank

Tringa totanusLC

A rare breeder on wet grasslands and reservoir margins, present from spring through autumn. Numbers have declined significantly across the county.

Mar–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ring Ouzel

Ring Ouzel

Turdus torquatusLC

A rare spring passage migrant, occasionally stopping on open farmland or hilltops in April en route to upland breeding grounds.

Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

A rare breeder, nesting on gravel shores at reservoirs and pits, also seen on passage in late summer.

Mar–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Rare Birds in Leicestershire | Birdfact