Birds in Merseyside
Explore 203 species found in this region.
Merseyside supports a rich diversity of birdlife, with 195 species recorded across the county's varied habitats. From the internationally important estuarine mudflats of the Dee and Mersey, which attract large flocks of Northern Pintail, Pink-footed Geese and Northern Lapwing, to urban parks where Great Tits and Magpies thrive, the region offers excellent birding year-round. Notable species include wintering wildfowl such as Common Shelduck and Common Merganser, as well as passage waders like Common Sandpiper and the elusive Eurasian Woodcock in woodland areas.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Black Redstart arriving this month, and Common Kingfisher and Common Scoter depart for the season.
Showing 47–69 of 203 species
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on lakes, meres and park ponds, often gathering in large flocks during winter.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare breeding visitor to arable farmland from March to June. One of the UK's most rapidly declining species, very scarce here.
Mar–Jun
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
A rare spring passage migrant, heard or seen briefly in April and May. Declining nationally, its distinctive call is now an increasingly scarce sound in Merseyside.
Apr–May
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common resident of the Mersey estuary mudflats and surrounding farmland, with large wintering flocks and a distinctive call.
Year-round
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
A rare passage wader visiting Merseyside's coastal pools and mudflats, mainly in late summer and autumn. Often found among flocks of dunlin at favoured sites.
May–Oct
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
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
A rare passage visitor, occasionally spotted offshore or on the Mersey estuary during May and autumn. Most records involve single birds lingering briefly.
May–Oct
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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 Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
A rare breeding visitor, increasingly seen at Marshside and the Mersey estuary marshes from February to September.
Feb–Sep
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 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
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 Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A rare passage visitor in April, occasionally turning up in parkland and woodland edges; scarce across Merseyside generally.
Apr
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