Birds to See in Merseyside in December
128 species matching this filter.
Merseyside offers a rich variety of birdwatching opportunities in December, with 128 species recorded across the county's diverse habitats. The estuaries, coastline, and wetlands of the region attract impressive winter visitors such as Common Merganser, Common Shelduck, and Eurasian Woodcock, while resident species like Barn Owl, Great Tit, and Magpie remain active throughout the colder months. From the mudflats of the Dee and Mersey estuaries to urban parks and farmland, Merseyside is a rewarding destination for winter birding.
New in December5
Leaving after last month6
Resident
(105)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Found year-round on the Merseyside coast, favouring sandy estuarine shores. Numbers peak in winter on the Dee and Mersey estuaries.
Year-round
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare but cherished resident, hunting voles over farmland and rough grassland. Nest box schemes have helped sustain the local population.
Sep–Jul
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, with small numbers on coastal marshes. Origins of birds can be uncertain, mixing feral and genuinely wild individuals.
Sep–Jun
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
A common sight on the Mersey and Dee estuaries year-round. Merseyside holds nationally important wintering numbers of this elegant, long-billed wader.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
A common and widespread resident found in gardens, parks, and hedgerows, with numbers boosted by Continental birds in winter.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
An uncommon year-round resident of woodland and scrub. Winter birds from central Europe supplement the local breeding population.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
One of the most familiar garden birds, this common resident readily uses nest boxes and feeders across Merseyside year-round.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
A shy resident of hedgerows and woodland edges, rarely seen but sometimes visits garden feeders. Numbers have declined significantly across the region.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Now a common resident across Merseyside, soaring over farmland and woodland edges after a dramatic recovery in recent decades.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common resident found on park lakes, reservoirs and grassy areas throughout the year. Flocks can be conspicuous on playing fields.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
An abundant and adaptable resident found across urban, suburban, and rural habitats throughout Merseyside year-round.
Year-round
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, reflecting its northward spread in the UK. Often associates with livestock on damp pastures.
Apr–Jan
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but increasing resident of dense reedbed and waterside scrub, more often heard than seen year-round.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common year-round resident of woodlands, parks and gardens. Its cheerful song is one of the first heard in spring across Merseyside.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident whose repetitive song is heard in woodland and parks year-round. Increasingly overwinters thanks to milder conditions.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, regularly visiting garden feeders, especially in winter months.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Present all year on playing fields, estuaries and reservoirs, with numbers boosted in winter by arrivals from Scandinavia.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but dazzling resident along canals, rivers, and park lakes. Often spotted as a flash of electric blue along waterways.
Jun–Mar
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common resident of farmland and woodland edges. Frequently encountered in rural parts of Merseyside year-round.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now seen over urban and rural Merseyside alike, often betrayed by its deep cronking call.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare resident found in birch and alder woodland. Numbers fluctuate year to year, with small flocks sometimes visiting garden feeders in winter.
Sep–May
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon wader found along Merseyside's waterways and reservoir edges, mainly from spring through autumn. Bobs its tail constantly while feeding along shorelines.
Apr–Feb
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally noted offshore in Liverpool Bay during March, with larger flocks further out to sea.
Jul–Apr
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
A common resident of the Mersey and Dee estuaries, easily recognised by bold plumage. Numbers build in late summer moult gatherings.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Probes soft ground on marshes and wet grasslands across Merseyside, most reliably seen in winter when numbers swell with continental migrants.
Jul–May
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common but declining resident, forming spectacular winter murmurations over sites such as Pier Head and Southport.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on lakes, meres and park ponds, often gathering in large flocks during winter.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common resident of the Mersey estuary mudflats and surrounding farmland, with large wintering flocks and a distinctive call.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
A common resident wader, abundant on the Mersey and Dee estuaries. Huge winter flocks create spectacular aerial displays over mudflats.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common but unobtrusive resident, shuffling through dense hedgerows and garden undergrowth throughout the year.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common resident in suburban gardens and farmyards, its monotonous cooing a familiar sound across Merseyside year-round.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon resident of mature broadleaved woodland and well-treed parks, sometimes visiting larger gardens in autumn.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
An uncommon resident of mature broadleaved woodland, slowly spreading across Merseyside's parks and wooded estates.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A common resident along the Mersey estuary and Sefton coast, with large wintering flocks on mudflats and sandy shores.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident, most visible in winter when flocks visit alder trees and garden nyjer feeders. Scarcer during midsummer.
Sep–Jul
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common resident of farmland and coastal dunes, though declining nationally. Song flights are a feature of the Sefton coast in spring.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
A rare resident found on farmland edges, scarcer than its House Sparrow cousin. Small colonies persist in rural parts of Merseyside.
Dec–Oct
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
An uncommon year-round resident, most numerous in winter on the estuaries and coastal marshes where flocks graze on wet grassland.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common and vocal resident found in almost every habitat with dense cover, from gardens to reedbeds. Remarkably loud for its size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A colourful year-round resident, often seen in chattering flocks feeding on teasel and thistle heads in parks and brownfield sites.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common resident, nesting on rooftops and abundant along the waterfront. Seen year-round at docks, beaches, and urban areas.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A much-loved common resident of gardens, parks, and woodland, singing year-round across Merseyside.
Year-round
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
An uncommon year-round resident favouring freshwater lakes and marshes, often found alongside other dabbling ducks.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
An uncommon resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, easily overlooked despite its high-pitched call. Numbers swell in autumn.
Year-round
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
An uncommon winter visitor to Merseyside's lakes and reservoirs, arriving from October and lingering into spring. Males are unmistakable with their glossy green heads.
Oct–May
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
A bulky, dominant gull found year-round along the coast and at landfill sites, often loafing on piers and breakwaters.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common resident along the Mersey estuary and coast, often seen perched with wings outstretched on jetties and channel markers.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
An uncommon year-round resident on larger lakes and reservoirs, performing its elaborate courtship display in spring.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
An uncommon resident found in mature woodland and parks, with its drumming heard in spring at sites like Dibbinsdale and Croxteth.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common year-round resident, readily visiting garden feeders and nesting in holes in trees, walls, and nest boxes.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An increasingly regular sight at Merseyside wetlands, reflecting its national expansion. Absent only in early summer months.
Jul–Apr
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A scarce but regular visitor to freshwater pools and ditches, most often encountered on autumn passage at inland wetland sites.
Jun–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Present year-round in gardens and hedgerows, though numbers have declined sharply due to trichomonosis disease in recent years.
Year-round
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
A scarce but year-round presence, favouring estuarine edges and coastal pools. Numbers peak on passage, with birds often seen singly.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A familiar year-round resident, commonly seen stalking waterways, park lakes, and coastal marshes across Merseyside.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
An uncommon and declining resident of Merseyside's remaining farmland. This secretive gamebird favours arable field margins and rough grassland edges.
Year-round
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
An uncommon but year-round presence on the estuaries, feeding on mudflats. Numbers peak in winter and during passage periods.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found near streams, weirs, and waterways, bobbing its long tail on rocks and walls year-round.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
An uncommon resident found year-round on park lakes, reservoirs and coastal marshes. Feral populations mix with genuinely wild birds in winter.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common and sociable resident of urban and suburban areas, nesting in buildings. Colonies thrive across Merseyside's towns and villages.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and familiar resident, nesting in buildings, old trees, and church towers across urban and rural Merseyside.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A familiar resident often seen hovering over roadside verges, rough grassland, and the edges of urban Merseyside throughout the year.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common resident with a large breeding colony on city rooftops. Readily seen year-round across the Mersey estuary and urban areas.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of farmland, scrub and coastal gorse. Flocks gather on weedy fields and saltmarsh edges outside the breeding season.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident after rapid expansion, frequently seen stalking the margins of estuarine pools and coastal marshes.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A common resident found on park lakes, ponds and quiet waterways throughout Merseyside, often betrayed by its distinctive trilling call.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common and charming resident, roving through hedgerows and gardens in acrobatic family flocks, especially conspicuous in winter.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A bold and abundant resident found in gardens, parks, and hedgerows throughout Merseyside, easily recognised by its chattering call.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
A common and familiar resident on virtually any waterbody across Merseyside, from park lakes to estuarine creeks.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
An uncommon resident of wooded lakes and park ponds, with small feral populations established at sites across the region.
Sep–Jul
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of rough grassland, moorland edges and coastal dunes. Numbers swell in autumn as upland birds move to lowland areas.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident of parks, playing fields, and woodland edges; often seen singing from tall treetops in early spring.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common year-round resident found on ponds, canals and park lakes throughout Merseyside. Often seen walking across lawns near water with its jerky gait.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A common and familiar resident on canals, park lakes and the coast. Breeds readily across Merseyside's waterways.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common year-round resident of farmland and wetland margins across Merseyside. Winter flocks gather on coastal fields, though breeding numbers continue to decline.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon but elegant dabbling duck, favouring the Mersey estuary mudflats and marshes mainly from autumn to spring.
Sep–May
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
A common resident on freshwater marshes and pools year-round. Often seen in groups sweeping their broad bills across shallow water.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, nesting on tall buildings in Liverpool and hunting over estuarine mudflats and marshes.
Year-round
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
A common sight over Merseyside in winter, with large skeins flying to and from feeding fields. Numbers peak from October to March.
Aug–May
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon year-round resident on Merseyside's lakes and meres. Numbers have declined nationally, making local sightings increasingly noteworthy.
Year-round
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
An uncommon but locally significant wader on Merseyside's estuaries. Large winter flocks gather on the Dee and at Seaforth, swirling in spectacular aerial displays.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
A rare resident, occasionally found on agricultural land in Merseyside. An introduced species, it is far less established here than in southern England.
Year-round
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
A rare resident, mainly seen offshore in autumn and winter. Spring passage birds occasionally noted in Liverpool Bay.
Sep–Apr
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
A familiar wader year-round on the Mersey estuary and Ribble marshes, its piping calls a constant soundtrack to the region's mudflats.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A common resident of reedbeds, marshes and damp scrub. Readily found at wetland sites and along the region's canal corridors.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
An uncommon year-round resident breeding on sandy shores along the Sefton coast, with numbers boosted by passage birds.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
A common resident in its feral form throughout urban Merseyside, nesting on buildings and bridges year-round.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
An uncommon resident nesting in noisy rookeries in farmland trees, though declining across much of its former range in the region.
Year-round
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, with small numbers establishing in suburban parks and gardens across the region.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Present all year along rocky shores and promenades. Often seen flipping stones on Merseyside's sea walls and pier structures.
Year-round
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
Found year-round on coastal marshes and pools, though uncommon. Marshside RSPB and similar wetlands offer the best chances.
Year-round
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Runs along sandy shores at Formby, Crosby and Ainsdale throughout the year, with flocks peaking in winter and on passage.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident singing from gardens, parks, and hedgerows across Merseyside, though numbers have declined in recent decades.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
A year-round resident hunting small birds in parks, gardens and woodland edges, often dashing low through suburban Merseyside.
Year-round
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
A rare wader found on Merseyside's estuarine mudflats, present in small numbers for much of the year. Often feeds alongside commoner redshank on tidal creeks.
Jun–Apr
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common but often overlooked resident, nesting in tree holes on farmland and parkland across the region.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident of coastal dunes, heathland, and rough grassland, often perching prominently on gorse and fences.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A rare resident, thinly distributed in mature woodland and parkland; more often heard calling at dusk than seen.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An uncommon resident that spirals up tree trunks in mature woodland and parkland, often heard before seen.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
A common diving duck found year-round on park lakes, reservoirs and meres across Merseyside. Males are striking with their dark crests and bright yellow eyes.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
An uncommon but secretive resident of Merseyside's reedbeds and marshy wetlands. More often heard giving its pig-like squeal than seen in the open.
Jul–Apr
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon resident, increasingly established at reedbeds and marshes such as those at RSPB Marshside and the Mersey estuary.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found in gardens, parks and farmland across Merseyside throughout the year.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare but year-round presence, occasionally picked out among large gull flocks at Seaforth Nature Reserve or along the Mersey estuary.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
A rare resident of farmland hedgerows, now very localised in Merseyside. Its bright yellow plumage and distinctive song aid identification.
Year-round
Non-breeding
(18)
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to the Mersey estuary and Dee shoreline, present mainly from autumn through to spring.
Sep–Apr
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to reservoirs and river channels, mainly from autumn through to spring.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Merseyside's woodlands and gardens in winter. This secretive wader is most often flushed unexpectedly from damp leaf litter.
Nov–Feb
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
An uncommon winter visitor from Scandinavia, feeding on berries in hedgerows and open farmland from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor forming flocks on Merseyside's farmland and coastal marshes from autumn through spring. Often associates with lapwing flocks.
Aug–Apr
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor from October to April, occasionally found on the Mersey estuary or marine lakes.
Oct–Apr
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare winter visitor to Merseyside's coastal marshes and farmland, occasionally hunting over the Sefton coast and Martin Mere.
Oct–Mar
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A secretive winter visitor to boggy marshes and wetland edges. Rarely seen, skulking in vegetation from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, dashing low over coastal marshes and dunes, mainly seen along the Sefton coast in autumn and winter.
Aug–Apr
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Merseyside's rocky shorelines and sea walls from November to April. Favours wave-washed rocks at sites like New Brighton.
Nov–Apr
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to the Mersey estuary and coastal waters from autumn through spring. Often seen fishing in sheltered bays and river channels.
Sep–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
An uncommon winter visitor from Scandinavia, foraging in hedgerows and on berry-laden trees from autumn through to early spring.
Sep–Apr
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Merseyside's rocky shorelines and sea walls, most likely seen from autumn through to early spring.
Aug–Mar
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
A rare winter visitor to coastal marshes and rough grassland, hunting low over the ground from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
A scarce winter visitor to Merseyside's beaches and dune systems, most likely along the Sefton coast from November to February.
Nov–Feb
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally found on saltmarshes and coastal stubble fields around the Mersey estuary from November to February.
Nov–Feb
Water Pipit
Anthus spinolettaLC
A rare winter visitor to wet grassland and marshes, occasionally recorded at coastal sites between November and March.
Nov–Mar
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
A rare winter visitor from Iceland, sometimes seen on coastal marshes and fields from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Passage
(5)
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
A rare passage visitor in midwinter, occasionally spotted offshore or in Liverpool Bay during December and January.
Dec–Jan
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare late-autumn and winter visitor to Liverpool Bay, occasionally spotted from shore during seawatches in November and December.
Nov–Dec
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelisLC
A rare visitor to rocky shores and harbour walls, most likely in late autumn and winter, far scarcer than Cormorant here.
Aug–Dec
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
A rare midwinter passage visitor, very occasionally turning up on sheltered lakes and reservoirs across the region.
Dec–Mar
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescensLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally seen among wintering goose flocks on the Mersey estuary and surrounding farmland in winter and spring.
Dec–Apr