Birds in Lincolnshire
Explore 228 species found in this region.
Lincolnshire is one of England's most rewarding counties for birdwatching, with 217 recorded species found across its diverse landscapes of coastal marshes, fenlands, farmland, and woodland. The county's extensive coastline along The Wash and the Humber Estuary provides vital habitat for wading birds and wildfowl, while inland sites attract notable species such as Cetti's Warbler, Hen Harrier, and Great White Egret. From the commons of the Lincolnshire Wolds to the vast skies over the fens, the county offers exceptional birding opportunities throughout the year.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Barn Swallow arriving this month, and Bluethroat and Eurasian Woodcock depart for the season.
Showing 70–92 of 228 species
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
An uncommon but increasing breeder, nesting at wetland reserves. Present from spring to autumn, favouring coastal marshes and lagoons.
Mar–Oct
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 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
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
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European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
A rare autumn passage migrant in August and September, typically seen at coastal sites such as Gibraltar Point on its southward journey.
Aug–Sep
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
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelisLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally seen off the Lincolnshire coast in December, far less frequent than the similar Cormorant.
Dec
European Turtle-dove
Streptopelia turturVU
A rare and declining summer breeder, arriving in late April. One of the UK's fastest-declining birds, favouring thick hedgerows and farmland.
Apr–Sep
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
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
A rare autumn passage migrant, occasionally recorded along the coast in October. Most sightings come from sheltered scrub at sites like Gibraltar Point.
Oct
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Rare offshore in late summer, occasionally seen from coastal headlands during strong onshore winds in August and September.
Aug–Sep
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
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
An uncommon summer breeder found in mature woodland with dense understorey from April to September. More often heard than seen in the county.
Apr–Sep
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
A rare summer breeder, arriving in March and favouring shallow fenland pools and wet meadows. One of the UK's scarcest breeding ducks.
Mar–Sep
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellusLC
A rare but increasingly recorded visitor to Lincolnshire's marshes and flooded fields, reflecting a wider northward range expansion.
Jun–Feb
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
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
An uncommon winter visitor from October to April, favouring deeper lakes, gravel pits and reservoirs across the county.
Oct–Apr
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare breeding visitor, arriving in April and favouring dense, tangled vegetation in marshes and rough grassland. Best detected by its reeling song.
Apr–Jul