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 93–115 of 158 species
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A rare and secretive winter visitor to London's marshes and wet meadows. Easily overlooked due to its skulking habits.
Oct–Apr
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
A common resident found around older buildings, church towers, and parkland trees throughout the capital all year.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A common resident, frequently seen hovering beside motorways and over urban green spaces. One of London's most visible birds of prey year-round.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common year-round resident, often seen soaring over rooftops or scavenging along the Thames and in urban parks.
Year-round
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
A rare passage visitor, most likely detected in March when drumming. One of Britain's most rapidly declining species, now very scarce in the London area.
Mar
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
An uncommon summer breeder favouring tall hedgerows and scrubby areas, present from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
An uncommon resident found on rough grassland and scrubby edges around London's periphery. Numbers have declined significantly in recent decades.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
An increasingly established resident along the Thames and at reservoirs. Once a rarity, now regularly seen stalking shallow margins year-round.
Year-round
Spotted something?
Upload a photo to identify it
Identify
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A common resident of ponds, canals, and park lakes, often betrayed by its distinctive whinnying trill.
Year-round
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A rare year-round resident on London's rural fringes, favouring farmland and old orchards. An introduced species declining nationally.
Year-round
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
An uncommon summer breeder favouring gravel pits and reservoir edges. One of London's earliest spring migrants, arriving in March.
Mar–Aug
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common and charming resident, often seen in busy family flocks moving through hedgerows and garden shrubs. Present year-round across London.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
An abundant and bold resident found in virtually every London garden and park. Easily recognised by its striking black-and-white plumage and long tail.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
London's most familiar duck, abundant year-round on virtually every pond, canal, lake, and stretch of the Thames.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring wooded lakes and rivers. Richmond Park and the River Thames corridor are reliable spots.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
An uncommon resident found on rough grassland, heathland, and reservoir margins. Numbers increase in autumn as passage birds move through.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident of larger parks and open woodland. Often sings from treetops in early spring and defends berry bushes in winter.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common year-round resident of ponds, canals, and park lakes. Often seen skulking along vegetated margins across the capital.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
An iconic year-round resident of the Thames and London's park lakes. Breeds readily and is a familiar sight across the capital.
Year-round
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchosLC
A rare spring passage migrant in April–May, occasionally pausing in dense scrub at sites like Rainham Marshes. Breeding range has retreated from London.
Apr–May
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
An uncommon resident of London's marshes and wet grasslands. Winter flocks gather at sites like the Lee Valley and Beddington.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to London's reservoirs and wetlands from autumn through spring. Elegant but easily overlooked among other ducks.
Sep–Apr
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Common and present year-round on London's wetland reserves and reservoirs. Numbers peak in winter when continental birds arrive.
Year-round