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 93–115 of 203 species
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 Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicariusLC
A rare autumn passage visitor, occasionally driven close to Merseyside's shores by Atlantic storms in September and October. A prized find for local birders.
Sep–Oct
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
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
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Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
A rare summer breeder, this agile falcon hunts dragonflies and small birds over wetlands and open country from May to September.
May–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A common summer visitor breeding under eaves across towns and villages, arriving in April and departing by October.
Apr–Oct
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
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
A rare spring visitor, occasionally appearing among gull flocks in April. Worth checking roosts at Seaforth and the Mersey.
Apr
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
Jackdaw
Coloeus 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
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
A rare breeder in the region, present from spring through autumn. Declining nationally, making local sightings increasingly notable.
Mar–Oct
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded on coastal stubble fields and saltmarshes around the Sefton coast in November.
Nov
Leach's Storm-petrel
Hydrobates leucorhousVU
A rare but thrilling autumn passage bird, driven close to shore by Atlantic gales in September and October.
Sep–Oct
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
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
A rare and secretive summer breeder, favouring tall hedgerows and scrubby woodland edges from April to August.
Apr–Aug
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipesVU
A rare American wader turning up as an autumn vagrant, typically in October. Most records come from coastal marshes and pools.
Oct
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