Birds in London
Explore 158 species found in this region.
London is home to a remarkable 156 bird species, thriving across the capital's diverse habitats — from the expansive wetlands of the Lee Valley and the Royal Parks to suburban gardens and the tidal Thames. Notable species include Mandarin Duck, Eurasian Woodcock, and Northern Lapwing, alongside familiar favourites like Great Tit, Magpie, and Common Starling. To discover which species you're most likely to encounter, explore our guide to the 20 Most Common Birds in London: Gardens, Parks & Urban Hotspots.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Bar-tailed Godwit arriving this month, and Black Swan and Brambling depart for the season.
Showing 24–46 of 158 species
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident heard singing its repetitive two-note call in parks and scrubby areas year-round. Increasingly overwinters in London's milder climate.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident of parks and woodlands with mature conifers. Less numerous than Blue or Great Tits but present year-round at feeders.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Common year-round, frequenting playing fields, reservoirs, and the Thames. Numbers peak in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but delightful year-round resident along London's rivers, canals, and park lakes. A flash of electric blue along the waterside.
Year-round
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally seen on the Thames and larger reservoirs between November and March.
Nov–Mar
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
An uncommon resident found mainly on London's rural fringes and larger green spaces. Originally introduced, now well established.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, part of a recent national range expansion. Occasionally seen soaring over outer London.
Aug–May
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, sometimes found in birch and alder along waterways from autumn to spring. Numbers vary greatly between years.
Sep–Apr
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Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
A rare passage visitor, sometimes glimpsed in wooded London parks during spring and autumn migration. Males show a striking orange breast.
Apr–Sep
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in reedbeds at wetland reserves. Its repetitive song carries across marshes from May.
Apr–Sep
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon but regular wader along the Thames and reservoir edges, bobbing its tail as it picks along stony margins.
Jul–May
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon year-round resident, favouring the Thames estuary fringes and larger reservoirs. Less often seen on smaller park lakes.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of London's marshes and wet grasslands. Most visible in winter when numbers increase at key wetland sites.
Aug–May
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common but declining resident, forming spectacular winter murmurations over central London rooftop roosts.
Year-round
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Screaming parties are a quintessential London summer sound from April to August, nesting in roof spaces across the city.
Apr–Sep
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon summer breeder, nesting on rafts at reservoirs and gravel pits. Dives for fish from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Abundant on virtually every London lake and reservoir year-round. Aggressive and conspicuous, often seen squabbling in large flocks.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare passage visitor in spring, reflecting its severe national decline. Once bred on London's farmland fringes but now virtually absent.
Apr–May
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
A rare summer visitor whose distinctive call is now seldom heard across London. Declining nationally, it favours commons and heathland.
Apr–Aug
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A rare visitor to London's reservoirs and wetlands, most often seen on passage or during winter. Declining nationally, making local sightings increasingly noteworthy.
Jul–Apr
Dartford Warbler
Curruca undataNT
A rare non-breeding visitor to heathland fringes, occasionally recorded on outer London commons in autumn and winter.
Oct–Jan
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Present at London's reservoirs and muddy margins nearly year-round but rarely in numbers. Most often seen in winter and on passage.
Jul–May
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common resident throughout London's gardens, parks, and hedgerows. Its thin, warbling song is heard year-round from dense undergrowth.
Year-round