Birds to See in Northamptonshire in December
110 species matching this filter.
Northamptonshire supports a diverse range of birdlife in December, with around 110 species recorded across the county's reservoirs, gravel pits, woodlands, and farmland. Winter visitors such as Brambling, Goldeneye, and Hen Harrier join resident species like Cetti's Warbler and Grey Heron, making this an exciting month for birdwatching. The county's key wetland sites, including Pitsford Reservoir and the Nene Valley gravel pits, attract notable species such as Great White Egret and Common Gull in significant numbers.
Resident
(89)
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare but cherished resident of farmland and field margins, sometimes seen hunting at dusk along quiet country lanes.
Sep–Jun
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
One of the county's most abundant birds, found in gardens, hedgerows and woodland year-round. Rich song is a hallmark of spring evenings.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common resident found in woodland, hedgerows and gardens throughout the year. Winter numbers are boosted by continental migrants visiting bird tables.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
One of the county's most familiar garden birds, common year-round and a regular visitor to feeders.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but widespread resident of hedgerows and woodland scrub. Shy and unobtrusive, often betrayed by its soft piping call.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common year-round raptor, often seen soaring over farmland and woodland edges across the county. Has increased significantly since the 1990s.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
An abundant resident found year-round on lakes, gravel pits and rivers throughout the county, breeding readily at most wetland sites.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable resident seen in virtually every habitat across the county, from town centres to open farmland.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but increasing resident skulking in dense waterside vegetation, more often heard than seen.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common year-round resident of woodland, hedgerows and gardens. Its bright song is one of the earliest signs of spring across the county.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident heard year-round in woodlands, parks and gardens. Its distinctive two-note song is one of the earliest signs of spring.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, also visiting garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon resident, most numerous in winter on playing fields and reservoirs. Scarcer in summer than other gulls.
Jul–May
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident along rivers and canal banks, its electric-blue flash a rewarding sight.
Year-round
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
An uncommon resident mainly seen in winter on rivers and reservoirs, with small numbers lingering into spring.
Nov–May
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common resident across farmland and woodland edges, bolstered by regular releases for shooting throughout the year.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, recolonising the county after a long absence. Deep cronking calls betray its presence over woodland and farmland.
Year-round
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
A scarce resident breeding in small numbers at reservoirs and gravel pits, with occasional gaps in late summer and autumn records.
Sep–Jul
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of wet meadows and marshy areas, most conspicuous when flushed from waterside vegetation in winter.
Jul–May
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
A common resident, though declining nationally. Winter roosts can number thousands, with spectacular murmurations over towns and reedbeds.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common resident on lakes, reservoirs, and gravel pits throughout the county, forming large winter flocks.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
A rare but year-round visitor to muddy reservoir edges and flooded fields, most often seen during autumn passage at sites like Pitsford.
Jul–May
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident, shuffling through hedgerows and garden borders year-round. Its thin, warbling song is often heard from dense cover.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
A scarce but increasing resident, found year-round on parkland lakes and gravel pits, with a small breeding population establishing in the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common resident in towns, villages and farmyards throughout the year. Its monotonous three-note call is a familiar garden sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon but resident woodland bird, most conspicuous in autumn when caching acorns in parks and hedgerows.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
An uncommon resident of mature deciduous woodland and parkland. Loud ringing calls echo through the county's older wooded estates.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
An uncommon resident of arable farmland and grassland, declining due to agricultural intensification. Song flights are a feature of open fields in spring.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
A rare and declining resident, now confined to scattered farmland sites. Often visits rural feeders alongside its commoner House Sparrow cousin.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Common on reservoirs and flooded grasslands, with peak numbers in winter; a small number linger through summer at key wetland sites.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common and vocal resident found in hedgerows, gardens and woodland undergrowth throughout the year.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, readily visiting garden feeders and forming large flocks on weedy fields and hedgerows in autumn and winter.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A common resident often heard giving its loud laughing call across parkland, orchards and woodland edges year-round.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round presence at reservoirs, landfill sites and town centres across the county, often gathering in large winter roosts.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A common and familiar resident of gardens, parks and woodland throughout the county. Sings year-round, even under streetlights on winter nights.
Year-round
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 Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
An uncommon resident found year-round at large reservoirs and landfill sites, often joining winter gull roosts in good numbers.
Jul–May
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
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An uncommon but increasingly regular resident at reservoirs and gravel pits. Part of a national range expansion from continental Europe.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
An uncommon but regular visitor to muddy reservoir edges and watercress beds, present most months except late spring.
Jul–Apr
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
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A familiar year-round resident, often seen standing motionless along rivers, lakes and gravel pits across the county.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
A rare and declining resident of arable farmland, struggling due to modern farming practices. Most likely on stubble fields.
Dec–Sep
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon year-round resident along the county's rivers and streams. Bobs its long tail constantly while foraging on weirs and waterways.
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 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
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
An uncommon resident often spotted hovering over roadside verges and open farmland. Numbers have declined in recent decades across the county.
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
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on farmland edges and weedy fields. Numbers have declined significantly across the county in recent decades.
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
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A scarce but resident breeder, favouring wooded lakes and rivers with overhanging trees, notably along the Nene valley.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
An uncommon resident of mature deciduous woodland, found in sites like Salcey Forest and Yardley Chase year-round.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
An uncommon resident found on rough grassland, reservoir edges, and farmland throughout the year, with numbers boosted by winter visitors.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident of parkland, orchards and open woodland. One of the earliest songsters, singing from treetops even in midwinter.
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
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
A rare but year-round resident, increasingly seen around church spires and tall buildings in the county's towns.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon year-round resident on deeper lakes and reservoirs. Nationally declining, making Northamptonshire sites increasingly important.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Now a common and iconic sight soaring over farmland and villages, following successful reintroduction in the nearby Chilterns.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
An uncommon but established resident of arable fields and hedgerows, maintained partly through releases for shooting.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon year-round resident breeding on wet grassland. Numbers bolstered in winter by birds from further north.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A common resident of reedbeds, ditches, and waterside vegetation along the Nene Valley, often visiting farmland stubble in winter.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Feral populations are present year-round in towns across the county, though less conspicuous than in larger urban centres.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common and sociable resident of farmland, nesting in noisy rookeries in tall trees across the county.
Year-round
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
A rare but increasing resident, part of the expanding feral population spreading from London. Noisy flocks occasionally appear at garden feeders.
Year-round
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensisLC
Once bred locally but now very rare following national eradication efforts; occasional lingering birds are still recorded at gravel pits.
Sep–May
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
A rare visitor to shallow wetland margins, occurring mainly on spring and autumn passage at the county's reservoirs.
Mar–Dec
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident of gardens, hedgerows and woodland. Often heard smashing snail shells on a favourite stone anvil across the county.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but widespread resident hunting small birds in woodland, hedgerows and gardens throughout the county.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common resident of farmland, parkland and woodland edges year-round. Nests in tree holes and old buildings across the county.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A scarce resident of mature woodland and parkland, more often heard than seen. Its hooting call carries across the county's quieter wooded valleys.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, spiralling up tree trunks in mature woodland. Best found in the county's ancient woods like Salcey Forest.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
A common resident diving duck found on reservoirs, gravel pits and park lakes throughout the year. Breeds readily in the county.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of reedbeds and marshy margins, more often heard squealing than seen at sites like Pitsford.
Jul–Apr
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, hunting over reedbeds and marshes at key wetland sites outside the summer months.
Jul–Apr
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found in woodlands, parks, gardens, and farmland year-round. Large winter flocks gather on arable fields across the county.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare but year-round visitor to reservoirs and tips, most often picked out among flocks of other large gulls.
Jul–May
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of arable farmland with hedgerows. Declining nationally, its bright song from hedgetops is increasingly scarce.
Year-round
Non-breeding
(16)
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor, sometimes joining Chaffinch flocks on farmland and beneath beech trees. Numbers vary greatly between years.
Oct–Apr
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare winter visitor occasionally found on the county's larger reservoirs such as Pitsford and Ravensthorpe in midwinter.
Dec–Feb
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor, typically found in birch and alder along river valleys from autumn to early spring.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon winter visitor frequenting alder and birch trees along rivers and in parks, present from autumn through to spring.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to woodland and hedgerows in winter. Secretive and easily overlooked among leaf litter.
Nov–Feb
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
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor forming flocks on ploughed fields and pastures from autumn through spring.
Sep–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
An uncommon winter visitor to reservoirs and gravel pits, present from October to April with peak numbers in midwinter.
Oct–Apr
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to larger reservoirs, occasionally joining Tufted Duck flocks from December through to spring.
Dec–Apr
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
A rare winter visitor to the county's reservoirs and flood meadows, occasionally joining flocks of other grazing geese from December to March.
Dec–Mar
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A secretive winter visitor to marshy areas and wet meadows, easily overlooked as it skulks in dense vegetation from October to March.
Oct–Mar
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to reservoirs and flooded fields from autumn through spring, with numbers peaking in winter.
Sep–Apr
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to reservoirs and gravel pits, most often recorded in winter months and occasionally in late summer.
Aug–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, foraging in hedgerows and on berry-laden trees from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
A rare and elegant winter visitor to the county's reservoirs and gravel pits, most likely during cold spells from November to March.
Nov–Mar
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to rough grassland and scrubby margins from autumn through winter. Often perches prominently on fence posts.
Sep–Mar
Passage
(5)
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded around industrial buildings and urban sites in late autumn and early winter.
Dec
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare late-autumn and winter passage visitor, occasionally seen quartering open farmland and marshes in the county.
Nov–Dec
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up on larger reservoirs in November and December during cold spells.
Nov–Dec
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally seen on reservoirs and flooded fields in midwinter and during October movements.
Oct–Jan
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
A rare passage visitor, reflecting severe national decline. Occasionally recorded in spring and late autumn at damp woodland sites.
Dec–Apr