Uncommon Birds in North Yorkshire
82 species matching this filter.
North Yorkshire's diverse landscapes — from the rugged moorlands of the Dales and North York Moors to its sweeping coastline and river valleys — support an impressive array of uncommon bird species. With 82 species classified as uncommon in the county, birders can encounter everything from the ghostly Barn Owl hunting over farmland at dusk to Arctic Jaegers passing along the coast and Greenshanks probing the margins of upland pools. These less frequently seen species reward patient observers who explore the region's varied wetlands, woodlands, and estuaries throughout the year.
Showing 1–23 of 82 species
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Uncommon offshore, seen harassing terns and kittiwakes from headlands like Flamborough and Filey Brigg, mainly during autumn seawatching.
Jun–Nov
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Found on the coast, particularly the Tees estuary and Filey, with numbers peaking during autumn passage and winter months.
Jul–May
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
An uncommon resident of farmland and field margins, often glimpsed at dusk quartering rough grassland for voles across the Vales.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
An increasingly year-round resident of woodland and gardens, its rich warbling song heard from early spring.
Feb–Nov
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An unobtrusive year-round resident of hedgerows and woodland edges, often detected by its soft, piping call.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Resident in coniferous and mixed woodland throughout the year, readily visiting garden feeders in winter. Often joins roving tit flocks.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon resident along clean rivers and streams, often glimpsed as a flash of electric blue over the water.
Year-round
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
An uncommon visitor to coastal waters, mainly from October to May. Often seen singly, diving in sheltered bays along the Yorkshire coast.
Oct–May
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Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Resident on upland rivers and reservoirs throughout the Dales and moorland valleys. Often seen in small parties fishing along fast-flowing streams.
Year-round
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
An uncommon summer breeder found in reedbeds from April to September, at the northern edge of its main English range.
Apr–Sep
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
A summer breeder along upland rivers and reservoir edges from April to September. Bobs constantly on waterside rocks in characteristic fashion.
Apr–Sep
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Uncommon but present year-round offshore. Dark flocks can be spotted from coastal headlands, often flying low over the waves.
Year-round
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Found year-round on estuaries, coastal mudflats and inland wetlands. Breeds in rabbit burrows and other cavities near water.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of moorland bogs and damp meadows, performing its distinctive 'drumming' display flight over the Dales and North York Moors in spring.
Year-round
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
An uncommon summer breeder, nesting at gravel pits and reservoirs from April. Often seen plunge-diving along the coast on passage.
Apr–Oct
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
A declining summer visitor arriving in April, its distinctive call heard across moorland and dales where it parasitises meadow pipit nests.
Apr–Aug
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Present year-round, breeding on upland moors in summer and gathering on estuarine mudflats in winter. A small wader with a distinctive downcurved bill.
Year-round
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
An uncommon year-round resident along the rocky Yorkshire coast. Breeds on sheltered stretches and forms rafts offshore in winter.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A familiar resident of villages, farms and suburban gardens year-round. Its monotonous three-note cooing is a constant soundtrack in settled areas.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon but resident corvid of broadleaved woodland, often heard giving its harsh, screeching call in autumn.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Resident in mature deciduous woodland, climbing bark with distinctive jerky movements. Visits garden feeders, especially near wooded areas.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident found year-round in conifer plantations and alder-lined valleys. Often visits garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
An uncommon year-round resident favouring farmyards and hedgerows, often in small flocks around arable land in the Vale of York.
Year-round