Common Birds in Norfolk
59 species matching this filter.
Norfolk is one of England's premier birdwatching destinations, with its sweeping coastline, vast salt marshes, and expansive wetlands supporting an impressive diversity of common species. From the haunting call of the Curlew across the mudflats to Eurasian Skylarks singing above open farmland, the county offers rewarding encounters with 60 commonly seen bird species. Many of these birds can also be spotted across the wider UK — for more on widespread species, see our guide to 23 Common Garden Birds in the UK (Full Guide with Pictures) and The most common bird in the UK.
Showing 1–23 of 59 species
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
A common year-round resident, iconic at reserves like Titchwell and Cley, sweeping its upturned bill through shallow brackish lagoons.
Year-round
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
A common summer breeder nesting in farm buildings across the county, arriving in March and lingering into November.
Mar–Nov
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Found year-round on coastal marshes and wet grasslands, with large flocks at sites like the Ouse Washes and Cley.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
A common and abundant resident of gardens, hedgerows and woodland, with numbers swelled by continental migrants in autumn.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common and familiar garden resident throughout the county, readily using nest boxes and bird feeders year-round.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common resident frequently seen perched on roadside posts or soaring over Norfolk's farmland and woodland throughout the year.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common year-round resident found on lakes, rivers, and grazing marshes across the county. Breeds readily on Norfolk's waterways.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
An abundant and adaptable resident found across Norfolk's farmland, towns, and coastline throughout the year.
Year-round
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Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common and familiar resident of woodlands, hedgerows and gardens throughout Norfolk, with continental birds augmenting numbers in winter.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident heard year-round, with numbers boosted by Continental migrants in autumn. Frequents woodlands, gardens, and scrubby hedgerows.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Common throughout the year on farmland, playing fields and coastal marshes. Winter flocks often mix with other gull species.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common and conspicuous resident of Norfolk's farmland, hedgerows, and woodland edges. Widely released for shooting across the county.
Year-round
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
A common summer breeder arriving in April, filling Norfolk's extensive reedbeds with its chattering song. Departs by September.
Apr–Sep
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Common year-round on estuaries and coastal mudflats. Breeds on dunes and marshes, with large moulting flocks in summer.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident boosted by huge continental flocks in winter, forming spectacular murmurations over reedbeds.
Year-round
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
A common breeding visitor screaming over Norfolk's towns and villages from late April to September. Nests in older buildings and church towers.
Apr–Sep
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on Norfolk's broads, lakes, and gravel pits. Large winter gatherings form on open water across the county.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Common on coastal marshes, estuaries and farmland throughout the year. Numbers swell in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common year-round resident, skulking through hedgerows and garden undergrowth. Its thin, warbling song is heard in every Norfolk parish.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common year-round resident in towns, villages, and farmyards. Its monotonous cooing call is a familiar sound across Norfolk.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A common resident of woodlands and mature gardens, often noisy in autumn when caching acorns.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Common year-round along Norfolk's beaches and saltmarshes, its piping calls a familiar sound on the north coast.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Sings its soaring flight song over Norfolk's open farmland and coastal marshes. A year-round resident, though numbers swell in winter with continental arrivals.
Year-round