Rare Birds in Northamptonshire
74 species matching this filter.
Northamptonshire may be a landlocked county, but its reservoirs, river valleys, and mixed farmland attract a surprising variety of rare bird species throughout the year. With 74 species classified as rare, patient observers may encounter anything from passage Arctic Terns and Black-tailed Godwits at the county's reservoirs to winter visitors such as Bohemian Waxwings and Hen Harriers quartering open fields. Scarce breeders like the Eurasian Tree Sparrow and elusive Eurasian Bittern add further excitement for birders exploring this often-overlooked county.
Showing 1–23 of 74 species
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
A rare spring passage migrant in April and May, occasionally dropping in at reservoirs and gravel pits en route north.
Apr–May
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
A rare breeding visitor, occasionally nesting at gravel pits and reservoir scrapes from March to June as the species expands inland.
Mar–Jun
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare spring passage wader, occasionally stopping at reservoir edges and flooded fields in April and May on northward migration.
Apr–May
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
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
A rare resident, likely of feral origin, occasionally seen on gravel pits and reservoir grasslands from spring through autumn.
Mar–Sep
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicusLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded at reedbed sites in February during irruptive dispersal movements.
Feb
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded around industrial buildings and urban sites in late autumn and early winter.
Dec
Black Tern
Chlidonias nigerLC
A rare passage migrant seen at reservoirs and gravel pits, mainly in May and again in late summer on return migration.
May–Sep
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Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
A rare passage visitor to reservoirs and gravel pits, most likely seen between July and September during post-breeding dispersal.
Jul–Sep
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
A rare but regular visitor to reservoir margins and wet grassland, mainly on spring and autumn passage.
Jul–Apr
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulusLC
A rare winter irruptive visitor, occasionally appearing in January during invasion years. Flocks target berry-laden trees in towns and supermarket car parks.
Jan
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor, sometimes joining Chaffinch flocks on farmland and beneath beech trees. Numbers vary greatly between years.
Oct–Apr
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly recorded resident, often seen alongside cattle on wet pastures in the Nene Valley as this species expands its UK range.
Aug–Jun
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 Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
A rare passage migrant, occasionally noted in spring and late summer. Does not breed in the county but may appear in mature parkland.
Apr–Aug
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare passage migrant, occasionally dropping in at reservoirs during February and September, far from its usual coastal haunts.
Sep–Feb
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
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare passage bird now virtually lost as a breeding species in the county. Occasional May records hint at lingering migrants on arable land.
May
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A rare passage visitor, heard calling over wetlands and fields mainly in late winter and midsummer as it moves through.
Feb–Aug
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
A rare autumn passage wader appearing briefly at muddy reservoir margins in September.
Sep
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
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 Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
A rare breeder at select reedbeds, with booming males a recent addition to the county's avifauna. Also noted in autumn and winter.
Apr–Nov