Common Birds in Northamptonshire
55 species matching this filter.
Northamptonshire supports a rich variety of common birdlife across its patchwork of rolling farmland, ancient woodlands, reservoirs and river valleys. With 55 commonly recorded species, birdwatchers can enjoy sightings ranging from familiar garden visitors like the Blackbird and European Goldfinch to impressive raptors such as the Buzzard and wetland species like the Gadwall and Coot. Many of these species also feature in our guide to 23 Common Garden Birds in the UK (Full Guide with Pictures), making Northamptonshire an excellent county for both beginner and experienced birders alike.
Showing 24–46 of 55 species
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving in October and departing by April. Flocks roam farmland and hedgerows feeding on berries.
Oct–Apr
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
A common resident on the county's reservoirs and gravel pits year-round. Often overlooked among Mallards but steadily increasing.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A common resident of coniferous and mixed woodland throughout the county. Britain's smallest bird, often detected by its high-pitched call.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common resident found year-round at reservoirs, gravel pits and rivers. Numbers have increased markedly in recent decades.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Common on larger lakes and reservoirs year-round, performing its elaborate courtship display from late winter.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Common in woodlands, parks and mature gardens throughout the county. Its drumming is a familiar sound from late winter onwards.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common and familiar resident of gardens, parks and woodland throughout the county, readily visiting feeders.
Year-round
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common resident of gardens, hedgerows and farmland. Numbers have declined due to disease, but it remains widespread across the county.
Year-round
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Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A familiar year-round resident, often seen standing motionless along rivers, lakes and gravel pits across the county.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
A common resident found year-round on reservoirs, gravel pits and farmland. Feral populations thrive at sites like Pitsford and Hollowell.
Year-round
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A common summer breeder, nesting under eaves in towns and villages from April to October. Often seen hawking insects over reservoirs and farmland.
Apr–Oct
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common year-round resident found in towns, villages, and farmyards across the county, though numbers have declined nationally in recent decades.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
Abundant year-round in towns, villages and farmland. Nests in church towers and old buildings, often forming large flocks with rooks in winter.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Common throughout the year at reservoirs, landfill sites and farmland. Numbers peak in late summer and autumn.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident along the Nene Valley's gravel pits and waterways, having colonised the county following its dramatic UK expansion.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A common resident on ponds, canals and sheltered gravel pits, often betrayed by its distinctive whinnying trill.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Common year-round in hedgerows, woodland and gardens. Roving family parties move noisily through bushes, their contact calls a familiar sound.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident found in gardens, hedgerows and farmland across the county throughout the year.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
The most widespread duck in the county, breeding on virtually any waterbody from village ponds to the Nene valley gravel pits.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident of ponds, streams and canal margins year-round. Readily breeds on even the smallest village waterways.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A common resident on rivers, lakes, and canals throughout the county, breeding readily on the Nene and at reservoirs.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common resident of arable farmland and wet grassland. Winter flocks gather on ploughed fields, though breeding numbers are declining.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Present year-round at the county's reservoirs and gravel pits, with numbers boosted in winter by continental migrants.
Year-round