Birds to See in Lincolnshire in February
142 species matching this filter.
Lincolnshire in February offers rewarding birdwatching across its diverse landscapes, from the vast mudflats of The Wash to the rolling Wolds and expansive fenland. With 142 species recorded this month, highlights include wintering Barn Owls hunting over farmland, flocks of Northern Lapwing on ploughed fields, and Common Mergansers on inland waterways. The county's coastal marshes and estuaries remain excellent for waders and wildfowl such as Common Shelduck, while hedgerows and woodlands host familiar residents like Great Tit and Magpie.
New in February4
Leaving after last month5
Resident
(114)
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
A common resident, breeding on coastal lagoons and the Wash before dispersing in winter. An elegant sight at RSPB Frampton Marsh.
Year-round
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
An uncommon but year-round presence on the Wash, with peak numbers in winter. Feeds on mudflats and sandy shores.
Year-round
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
An uncommon year-round resident, often seen hunting over the county's farmland, fens, and grasslands at dusk and dawn.
Year-round
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
An uncommon year-round resident, with feral birds on inland waters supplemented by wild Arctic breeders in winter.
Year-round
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
A rare but prized resident of reedbeds, with key sites along the coast and the Fens. Listen for its distinctive pinging call in autumn.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Present year-round on the Wash and coastal grazing marshes. Large flocks gather at sites like Frampton Marsh, a key UK stronghold.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
An abundant resident found in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland across the county. Numbers are boosted by continental migrants in autumn and winter.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Present year-round but uncommon; breeding birds are joined by wintering continental visitors to hedgerows and garden feeders.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A familiar garden visitor year-round, readily using nest boxes in Lincolnshire's towns, villages and woodland edges.
Year-round
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
An uncommon but regular presence, with dark-bellied birds wintering on the Wash mudflats. Small numbers linger through summer.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring thick hedgerows and woodland edges. Its soft call is often heard before the bird is seen.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common year-round resident, frequently seen soaring over farmland, the Wolds, and woodland edges throughout Lincolnshire.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common naturalised resident found on lakes, gravel pits and parkland throughout the county year-round.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Abundant year-round across the county's arable fields, towns and coastline. Often seen foraging in ploughed Fenland fields.
Year-round
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, often seen near livestock in wet pastures. Part of a recent national range expansion into Lincolnshire.
Aug–May
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, heard year-round in dense scrub near wetlands. Its explosive song often betrays its presence at fenland reserves.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common resident found year-round in hedgerows, woodlands and gardens across the county. Numbers bolstered by continental birds in winter.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident heard singing its distinctive descending call in woodlands, scrub and gardens throughout the year.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident, mainly found in conifer plantations and mature gardens. Less numerous here than in more wooded counties.
Year-round
Common Crane
Grus grusLC
A rare but increasing resident, with breeding pairs establishing on fenland sites. A spectacular sight on the county's wetlands.
Oct–Aug
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Common year-round on farmland, playing fields, and the coast. Numbers swell in winter with arrivals from Scandinavia and the continent.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but dazzling resident along rivers and drainage channels. Often glimpsed as a flash of blue along fenland waterways.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
An abundant resident across farmland, hedgerows and woodland edges throughout the county, heavily supplemented by annual releases.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
A rare but increasing resident, slowly recolonising the county after centuries of absence. Look for its diamond-shaped tail in flight.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare resident, thinly distributed in birch and alder woodland. Numbers may increase in winter with arrivals from the continent.
Year-round
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare but year-round presence, mainly seen offshore along the coast. Small numbers linger through summer off the Wash.
Apr–Feb
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
A common resident, breeding on coastal marshes and The Wash. Large moulting flocks gather in summer on tidal mudflats.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of wet grasslands, marshes, and fenland edges. Numbers swell in winter with continental immigrants.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Common year-round, with spectacular winter murmurations forming over reedbeds and towns. Numbers boosted by continental arrivals.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on lakes, gravel pits and drainage channels, forming large winter flocks on the bigger waterbodies.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
An uncommon resident of open arable farmland, particularly the Wolds. Lincolnshire remains a stronghold for this declining species.
Oct–Aug
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common resident found on coastal mudflats, farmland and marshes year-round. Its evocative call is a hallmark of the Wash.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Abundant on the Wash mudflats year-round, forming large winter flocks. One of the most numerous waders along the Lincolnshire coast.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident, skulking in hedgerows and garden shrubbery year-round. Its thin, warbling song is often heard from dense cover.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, found around lakes, gravel pits and parkland. This established non-native species is spreading northward.
Year-round
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
A rare resident along the Lincolnshire coast, most often seen on the sea near Gibraltar Point. Largely absent during midsummer.
Aug–May
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
A rare but resident breeder in Lincolnshire's extensive reedbeds, most reliably found at sites like Far Ings and Alkborough Flats.
Nov–Aug
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A familiar garden and farmyard resident heard year-round, with its persistent three-note cooing a constant backdrop across the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of broadleaved woodland and mature parks, often betrayed by its harsh screaming call.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A rare resident found in mature deciduous woodland. Lincolnshire sits at the edge of its range, making sightings a notable find.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A common resident along the Wash and Lincolnshire coast, also breeding inland on arable fields. Noisy and conspicuous year-round.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident most visible from autumn to spring, feeding in alder and birch. Largely absent during midsummer months.
Sep–May
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common resident of arable farmland and open grassland, though declining nationally. Its soaring song flight is iconic over Lincolnshire's fields.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
An uncommon year-round resident favouring farmyards and arable field margins. Lincolnshire remains a relative stronghold for this declining species.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Common year-round, with large winter flocks gathering on the Wash and coastal grazing marshes. A few pairs breed locally.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common resident found year-round in gardens, hedgerows and woodland. One of Lincolnshire's most widespread birds despite its tiny size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, readily seen in gardens, hedgerows and waste ground year-round, often in charm flocks feeding on teasels.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
An uncommon resident of parkland and woodland edges, more often heard than seen. Its loud, laughing call carries across open ground.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A familiar resident along the coast and in towns. Breeds on rooftops in Grimsby and Lincoln, and gathers in large numbers at landfill sites.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A common and familiar resident of gardens, parks, and woodland throughout Lincolnshire. Sings year-round, even through the darkest winter months.
Year-round
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
A common resident found year-round on freshwater lakes, gravel pits and marshes across the county, often alongside other dabbling ducks.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Britain's smallest bird, an uncommon resident found in coniferous and mixed woodland. Numbers swell with autumn migrants.
Year-round
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Uncommon year-round, with large winter flocks on arable fields and coastal marshes. Breeds sparingly on upland margins.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, most often seen along the coast and at larger inland water bodies, sometimes scavenging at tips.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common resident found at rivers, gravel pits, and reservoirs year-round. Numbers increase in winter at inland fisheries.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, breeding on larger lakes and gravel pits. Its elaborate courtship display is a spring highlight.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
An uncommon year-round resident of mature woodland and parks, often visiting garden feeders. Its drumming is heard from late winter.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common and bold resident of gardens, parks, and woodland. Readily visits feeders and nests in hole boxes across the county.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Now resident year-round at fenland wetlands, this striking heron has increased markedly in recent years across Lincolnshire.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Found year-round at freshwater pools, ditches, and watercress beds. Often solitary and easily flushed, showing dark underwings in flight.
Jun–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common resident of gardens, hedgerows and farmland, though numbers have declined significantly due to trichomonosis disease.
Year-round
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
An uncommon but regular presence on estuarine creeks and pools. Most frequently seen on autumn passage along the Wash and at inland reserves.
Feb–Dec
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common year-round resident, easily seen along rivers, drainage channels, and the fenland waterways across the county.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
An uncommon but iconic resident of arable farmland, declining nationally but still found on Lincolnshire's open fields and field margins.
Year-round
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Frequents the Wash mudflats year-round, with numbers peaking in winter. Distinctive black belly plumage appears in spring.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident, found near streams, weirs, and waterways. Less numerous here than in hillier western counties.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
A common year-round resident on lakes, marshes and farmland. Both feral and wild populations contribute to large winter flocks.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common year-round resident closely tied to human habitation, nesting under eaves in towns and villages across the county.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in church towers, old buildings, and tree cavities. Often seen in noisy flocks with rooks.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A common resident, frequently seen hovering over roadside verges and open farmland across the county throughout the year.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Common year-round, found at landfill sites, farmland, and coastal areas. Breeds locally and gathers in large roosts during winter.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of farmland, heathland edges and coastal scrub. Forms large winter flocks on stubble fields and saltmarshes.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident, found year-round along marshes, coastal lagoons, and inland waterways — a remarkable coloniser since the 1990s.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A common resident on ponds, lakes, and drainage ditches across the county, often heard giving its distinctive whinnying trill.
Year-round
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A rare but endearing resident of farmland and old buildings. Declining nationally, but still found in parts of the Wolds and fens.
Oct–Aug
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common and charming resident, easily spotted in roving family flocks through hedgerows, gardens, and woodland throughout the year.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident across Lincolnshire, frequenting farmland hedgerows, parks and gardens throughout the year.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
An abundant and familiar resident found on virtually any waterbody, from farmland ponds to urban parks and the county's extensive drainage channels.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of open grassland, marshes, and farmland. Numbers increase in winter with arrivals from upland and northern areas.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident of parkland, hedgerows, and open woodland. Often seen singing boldly from treetops, even in winter.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Common and widespread on ponds, ditches, and waterways across the county, often seen flicking its white undertail in gardens.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A common and familiar resident of rivers, lakes and fenland waterways across Lincolnshire throughout the year.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common but declining resident, breeding on farmland and marshes. Huge winter flocks gather on the Fens and coastal fields.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon resident favouring coastal marshes and fenland floods. Winter numbers are boosted by continental migrants.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
A common resident found year-round on freshwater marshes and flooded fields, with numbers boosted by winter migrants on the Fens.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, nesting on churches and tall buildings in Lincoln and other towns. Hunts over marshes and farmland.
Year-round
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
An uncommon resident with numbers swelling hugely in winter when vast skeins arrive from Iceland to feed on fenland sugar beet fields.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon year-round resident, declining as a breeder but still found on deeper lakes and gravel pits across the county.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now regularly seen soaring over farmland and woodland edges across the county.
Year-round
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
The Wash hosts internationally important wintering flocks. Spectacular dense formations swirl over mudflats, peaking from autumn to spring.
Year-round
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
A rare resident, occasionally seen on larger lakes and gravel pits. Numbers in England are slowly increasing from feral and continental birds.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An uncommon resident of arable farmland and field margins. An introduced species, it favours the open agricultural landscapes of the county.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
A common resident of saltmarshes and wet grasslands across the county. Breeds on coastal grazing marshes and winters on the Wash.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A common resident of reedbeds, ditches and fenland margins. Winter flocks gather on farmland stubble across the county.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
An uncommon resident, breeding on shingle beaches and bare ground along the coast. Winter flocks gather on the Wash mudflats.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
An uncommon resident found in towns and on coastal cliffs. Most birds are feral descendants rather than truly wild Rock Doves.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common and characteristic sight across Lincolnshire's farmland, nesting in noisy rookeries in tall trees near villages.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
An uncommon but year-round presence along rocky groynes and mussel beds on the coast. Often feeds among seaweed at the tideline.
Year-round
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
An uncommon year-round resident, with passage birds boosting numbers on coastal and fenland scrapes in spring and autumn.
Year-round
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
A rare but year-round visitor to sandy beaches along the coast, often seen in small flocks running along the tideline.
Year-round
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
A rare resident, hunting over coastal marshes and fenland. Winter numbers are boosted by continental birds at sites like the Wash.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident singing from hedgerows and gardens. Lincolnshire's farmland hedges provide important nesting habitat.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident, hunting small birds in woodland, hedgerows, and increasingly in gardens across the county.
Year-round
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of coastal marshes and estuarine mudflats, most conspicuous on the Wash during autumn passage.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common resident breeding in old trees and farm buildings, often seen in fast flight over arable fields and parkland.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident of gorse-covered heaths and coastal scrub, present most months but scarce in midsummer.
Jul–May
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A rare resident of mature woodland and parkland, more often heard than seen. Lincolnshire's limited tree cover restricts numbers.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An unobtrusive year-round resident, spiralling up tree trunks in mature woodland and parkland across the county.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
A common resident on lakes, reservoirs and gravel pits throughout the county, with numbers increasing in winter.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of reedbeds and marshy ditches, more often heard giving its pig-like squeal than seen.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
A common resident of reedbeds and marshes, quartering low over fens at sites like Frampton and Donna Nook throughout the year.
Year-round
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
An uncommon resident, with wintering herds from Iceland gathering on fenland fields and washlands. Small numbers may summer.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found year-round in woodlands, parks and gardens across the county. Numbers swell in autumn with continental immigrants.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
A common resident of farmland hedgerows and arable field margins, delivering its distinctive song from exposed perches year-round.
Year-round
Breeding
(1)
Non-breeding
(24)
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor from Scandinavia, sometimes joining Chaffinch flocks in beech woodland and farmland stubble from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare winter visitor to coastal waters and occasionally large inland reservoirs. Most records fall between November and February.
Nov–Feb
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
An uncommon winter visitor to rivers, reservoirs and gravel pits from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A secretive winter visitor to damp woodland and hedgerows. Most likely encountered during cold-weather movements from October to March.
Oct–Jun
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving in October to feed in flocks on berry-laden hedgerows across the Wolds and Fens.
Oct–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
An uncommon winter visitor from October to April, favouring deeper lakes, gravel pits and reservoirs across the county.
Oct–Apr
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, mainly seen on coastal waters and The Wash from autumn through to spring.
Oct–Apr
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
A rare winter visitor to coastal marshes and grazing fields, occasionally joining flocks of other geese around The Wash.
Sep–Mar
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare winter visitor, quartering over coastal marshes and fenland from October to April. The Wash fringes are a favoured haunt.
Oct–Apr
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
A rare winter visitor to sheltered coastal waters and reservoirs. Most likely seen between November and February in smart winter plumage.
Nov–Feb
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A rare winter visitor to marshy fields and wet grasslands from October to April. Secretive and easily overlooked among snipe.
Oct–Apr
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusLC
Rare winter visitor to dense scrub and conifer plantations, sometimes found roosting communally in sheltered coastal thickets.
Nov–Mar
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor, arriving from autumn and wintering on coastal marshes and open fenland until early spring.
Aug–Apr
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, mainly seen along the coast and the Wash from autumn through to early spring.
Sep–Mar
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Rare non-breeding visitor to coastal waters, most often seen offshore from autumn through early spring during seawatching sessions.
Sep–Mar
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor arriving from Scandinavia, foraging in hedgerows and open fields across the county. Often seen in mixed flocks with Fieldfares.
Sep–Apr
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to the Lincolnshire coast, favouring rocky sea defences and saltmarsh edges from September to March.
Sep–Mar
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
A scarce winter visitor from northern Europe, occasionally found on sheltered lakes and reservoirs from December to March.
Dec–Mar
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to the coast, with small groups sometimes found on shingle beaches and saltmarshes near Gibraltar Point in winter.
Oct–Feb
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
A rare midwinter visitor, occasionally found among other goose flocks on fenland fields and coastal marshes.
Dec–Feb
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
A rare winter visitor to the Fens and Wash, sometimes found among Whooper Swan herds on flooded fields from December to February.
Dec–Feb
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
A rare winter visitor, with small flocks occasionally found on coastal saltmarshes and stubble fields along the Wash from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
A rare winter visitor found at freshwater marshes and watercress beds, mainly along the coast and fenland fringes from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
A rare and declining visitor to Lincolnshire's scrubby woodland edges, mostly seen outside the breeding season. One of the UK's fastest-declining species.
Aug–Apr
Passage
(3)
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
A rare winter passage visitor, occasionally found on the Lincolnshire coast and saltmarshes in January and February.
Jan–Feb
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally seen on the coast in February and October, favouring stubble fields and saltmarsh near Gibraltar Point.
Oct–Feb
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
A rare passage visitor in winter and early spring. Lincolnshire lies largely outside its core range, making any sighting noteworthy.
Jan–Apr