Birds to See in Oxfordshire in January
110 species matching this filter.
Oxfordshire offers rewarding birdwatching throughout the winter months, with around 110 species recorded in January across its diverse habitats of river valleys, farmland, woodland, and wetland reserves. The Thames and its tributaries attract wintering wildfowl such as Common Shelduck and Common Merganser (Goosander), while open fields host flocks of Fieldfare and Linnet. Quieter rural areas may reward patient observers with sightings of Barn Owl hunting at dusk or Eurasian Woodcock flushed from woodland edges.
New in January2
Leaving after last month4
Resident
(93)
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A scarce but resident owl of open farmland, occasionally glimpsed hunting at dusk along field margins and river valleys.
Year-round
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
An uncommon resident found on gravel pits and river meadows. Some birds may be feral, but wild arrivals boost numbers in winter.
Aug–Jun
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
One of the county's most familiar birds, abundant in gardens, hedgerows and woodland year-round. Its melodious song is a defining sound of Oxfordshire's dawn chorus.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
A common resident found year-round in hedgerows, gardens, and woodland. Numbers swell in winter with continental migrants visiting berry-laden shrubs.
Year-round
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
One of the county's most abundant garden birds, present year-round. A regular visitor to feeders and a keen user of nest boxes in gardens, hedgerows and woodland.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring thick hedgerows and woodland edges. Its soft piping call often reveals its presence before it is seen.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common and conspicuous resident, frequently seen soaring over farmland, woodland edges, and motorway verges. Has increased dramatically since the 1990s.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common and conspicuous resident of parks, gravel pits, and the Thames corridor, often seen grazing on playing fields.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
An abundant and adaptable resident found in virtually every habitat across Oxfordshire, from city centres to remote farmland.
Year-round
Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibisLC
A rare but increasingly established resident, reflecting a recent northward range expansion. Favours pastures with livestock in the wider Thames Valley.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
An uncommon but increasing resident of dense waterside scrub, more often heard than seen. Its explosive song rings out from reedbeds at sites like Otmoor and along the Thames.
Year-round
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A common year-round resident of woodland, farmland, and gardens. Its cheerful song is one of the earliest signs of spring in Oxfordshire.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Present year-round in woodlands and hedgerows, with numbers boosted in spring by arriving migrants. Its repetitive song is a familiar sound.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
An uncommon resident favouring coniferous and mixed woodland, visiting garden feeders in winter. Less numerous here than in more heavily wooded counties.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon visitor to reservoirs and farmland, most often seen in winter flocks. Largely absent during May and June.
Jul–Apr
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon but delightful year-round resident along rivers, streams, and canal banks. A flash of electric blue is often the first sign of its presence.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common resident of farmland, hedgerows, and woodland edges throughout the county, sustained by regular releases for shooting.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now regularly seen and heard performing aerial displays over farmland and woodland throughout the county.
Year-round
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon visitor along rivers and gravel pits, bobbing on rocks at the water's edge. Most frequently seen on passage in spring and autumn.
Mar–Jan
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon resident, occasionally seen on gravel pits and larger water bodies. Scarcer inland than on the coast.
Aug–Jun
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident of marshy fields and wet meadows, often flushed from waterlogged grassland at sites like Otmoor and the Thames floodplain.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Common year-round in gardens and farmland, though nationally declining. Winter roosts can number thousands at sites across the county.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
A common and pugnacious resident of lakes, gravel pits, and park ponds, often forming large winter flocks at Farmoor Reservoir.
Year-round
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
A rare and declining resident of open arable farmland. Once widespread, now confined to a few traditional cereal-growing areas in the county.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
A rare wader seen at muddy reservoir edges and gravel pits, mostly on passage. Small numbers may linger through winter at favoured sites.
Jul–May
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland understorey. Its shuffling gait and thin song are familiar across the county.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now breeding at several sites along the Thames and at gravel pits across the county.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common year-round resident of gardens, farms, and villages, its monotonous three-note call is a familiar sound across Oxfordshire.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A year-round resident of mature broadleaved woodland and larger gardens, often betrayed by its harsh screeching call. Plays a key role in oak regeneration by caching acorns.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
An uncommon year-round resident of mature deciduous woodland and parkland, often seen spiralling headfirst down tree trunks. Favours oak-rich sites like Wytham Woods.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common resident of open farmland and downland, delivering its soaring song flight over arable fields. Numbers have declined nationally but it remains widespread here.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Uncommon but present most of the year on flooded meadows and reservoirs. Winter flocks gather on the Thames floodplain.
Aug–Jun
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of Oxfordshire's most abundant residents, found in gardens, hedgerows, and woodland. Its powerful song belies its tiny size.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A familiar and common resident, often seen in lively flocks feeding on teasel and thistle heads along field margins and in Oxfordshire gardens.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A common year-round resident of parkland, churchyards and garden lawns, often seen probing the ground for ants with its distinctive laughing call echoing across the county.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round resident, gathering in large roosts at Farmoor Reservoir and frequenting urban areas, landfill sites, and playing fields.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
One of the most familiar garden birds, singing throughout the year. Fiercely territorial in Oxfordshire's parks, hedgerows, and woodland.
Year-round
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
A rare resident, scarce in Oxfordshire's coniferous and mixed woodland. Most likely encountered in mature plantations or churchyard yews.
Nov–Jun
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Present year-round on gravel pits and reservoirs, this unassuming dabbling duck is uncommon but regular across the county.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Britain's smallest bird, resident in coniferous and mixed woodland. Numbers swell in autumn with continental arrivals.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Present year-round but uncommon, frequenting reservoir roosts and landfill sites. Numbers peak in winter at gatherings like those at Farmoor.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common resident along the Thames and at gravel pits and reservoirs. Often seen perched with wings outstretched on waterside structures.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A common and elegant resident of larger lakes and gravel pits, performing its elaborate courtship display from early spring.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident of mature woodland, parks, and large gardens. Its loud drumming in spring echoes through Oxfordshire's ancient woodlands.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A bold and familiar garden visitor year-round, readily using nest boxes in Oxfordshire's parks, woodlands, and hedgerows.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An increasingly regular sight at gravel pits and wetland reserves, part of a dramatic national range expansion in recent years.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A rare but regular wader along muddy streams and watercress beds, most often seen on autumn passage and in winter at sites like Farmoor and the Cherwell valley.
Jul–Apr
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common year-round resident, though numbers have declined sharply due to trichomonosis. Frequents gardens, hedgerows, and farmland across the county.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common and familiar resident, nesting in heronries near rivers and lakes. Frequently seen standing motionless beside the Thames and its tributaries.
Year-round
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
A rare and declining resident of arable farmland and field margins. Once widespread, now scarce across the county.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
An uncommon resident found along streams, weirs, and rivers such as the Thames and Cherwell. Bobs its long tail while foraging on rocks.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
A common resident found on lakes, rivers, and farmland year-round. Feral populations mix with genuinely wild birds in winter.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common year-round resident closely tied to human habitation, nesting in roof spaces and hedges. Colonial and noisy, found in towns and villages across the county.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in church towers, old trees, and buildings across the county. Often seen in noisy flocks with Rooks.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A common resident, frequently seen hovering over roadside verges and farmland. One of Oxfordshire's most visible birds of prey.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common gull across the county year-round, frequenting reservoirs, farmland and landfill sites. Numbers peak during passage and winter months.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident of open farmland, downland, and scrubby margins. Often seen in twittering flocks over Oxfordshire's arable fields.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
A relatively recent colonist now resident along Oxfordshire's rivers and gravel pits, having spread rapidly northward since the 1990s.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
A year-round resident on ponds, canals, and slow rivers, often betrayed by its distinctive whinnying trill. Breeds on well-vegetated waterways.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Charming acrobatic flocks roam hedgerows and woodland edges throughout the year, often among the first birds to nest in late winter.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common and conspicuous resident of gardens, parks, and farmland hedgerows. Its bold black-and-white plumage is unmistakable across the county.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Abundant and familiar on rivers, lakes, ponds and park lakes throughout the county year-round. Breeds widely across Oxfordshire.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
A rare and declining resident of mature deciduous woodland. Oxfordshire's ancient woods, such as Wytham, remain important strongholds.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
An uncommon resident of rough grassland and open farmland, more conspicuous in winter when numbers are boosted by birds from higher ground.
Year-round
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident of parkland, orchards and open woodland, often singing from prominent treetops even in midwinter. Defends berry-laden trees aggressively in autumn.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident of ponds, streams, and ditches across the county. Readily seen in parks, gardens, and along the Thames.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A familiar year-round resident, gracing the Thames and its tributaries, Oxford's college ponds, and gravel pit lakes across the county.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
An uncommon but year-round resident of farmland and wet meadows, with flocks swelling in winter. Breeding numbers have declined sharply.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
An uncommon winter visitor and scarce breeder, favouring flooded meadows and reservoir margins. Numbers peak from autumn to early spring.
Sep–Jun
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Present year-round on lakes and reservoirs, with numbers boosted in winter. Favours shallow, muddy-edged waterbodies for feeding.
Year-round
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
A rare but year-round resident, increasingly seen around Oxford's tall buildings and church spires, as well as hunting over open countryside.
Year-round
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
An uncommon resident on deeper lakes and gravel pits, with numbers declining nationally. Winter flocks form at key sites.
Year-round
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
An Oxfordshire success story following the Chilterns reintroduction, now a common and iconic sight soaring over towns and countryside alike.
Year-round
Red-crested Pochard
Netta rufinaLC
A rare year-round resident, likely originating from feral populations. Occasionally seen on larger gravel pits and lakes.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
A rare resident of arable farmland and field margins. Numbers have declined significantly, making sightings increasingly noteworthy.
Year-round
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon resident found on wet meadows and reservoir margins, with noisy, piping calls drawing attention at sites like Otmoor and the Thames floodplain.
Nov–Aug
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A year-round resident of reedbeds and damp ditches along the Thames floodplain and Otmoor, though less conspicuous in winter.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
A common and familiar resident of towns and cities, nesting on buildings throughout Oxford and surrounding urban areas.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A familiar sight across Oxfordshire's arable farmland, nesting in noisy rookeries in tall trees. Large colonies are a characteristic feature of the rural landscape.
Year-round
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
An established but uncommon resident, part of the expanding feral population spreading from London into suburban parks and gardens across the county.
Year-round
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescensLC
Rarely recorded, with sightings likely involving feral or escaped birds. Occasionally joins flocks of wild geese on farmland and floodplains.
Aug–May
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A year-round resident of gardens, parks, and woodland, often heard smashing snails on stones. Declining nationally but still widespread here.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
A stealthy resident raptor hunting small birds through woodland and gardens. Often detected by panicked alarm calls of its prey.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
A common resident of farmland, parkland and woodland edges year-round. Often nests in tree holes and old buildings.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
An uncommon resident favouring heathland, rough grassland, and scrubby field margins. Often perches prominently on gorse or fence posts.
Aug–Jun
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
A nocturnal resident of mature woodland and large gardens, more often heard than seen. Its hooting call carries far on still nights.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
A quiet resident of mature deciduous woodland, spiralling up tree trunks in search of insects. Easily overlooked but present year-round.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
A common diving duck found year-round on gravel pits, reservoirs and park lakes. Breeds readily across the county.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of reedbeds and marshy margins. More often heard squealing from dense cover than seen.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, increasingly seen quartering reedbeds and marshes at Otmoor and along the Thames valley. Numbers have grown in recent decades.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Abundant throughout the county in gardens, parks, and farmland. One of Oxfordshire's most familiar birds, present in large numbers all year.
Year-round
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare visitor in late winter, sometimes picked out among large gull roosts at Farmoor Reservoir or landfill sites.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of farmland hedgerows. Has declined significantly, making the Oxfordshire countryside an important stronghold.
Year-round
Non-breeding
(14)
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
A rare winter visitor from Scandinavia, sometimes joining chaffinch flocks on farmland and beneath beech trees. Numbers vary greatly between years.
Oct–Mar
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
A rare winter visitor to larger water bodies, occasionally recorded at Farmoor Reservoir in late autumn and early winter.
Nov–Jan
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to rivers and reservoirs, mainly from autumn through to spring. Also known as Goosander in Britain.
Sep–Apr
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up in birch and alder woodland. Most likely seen in irruption years from autumn through early spring.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon winter visitor, arriving from autumn and frequenting alder and birch trees along rivers and in wet woodland.
Sep–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to woodland and hedgerows, most likely encountered during cold winter months when continental birds arrive.
Nov–Mar
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
A winter thrush arriving from Scandinavia, feeding in noisy flocks on hedgerow berries and open farmland from October to early spring.
Oct–Apr
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
An uncommon non-breeding visitor to ploughed fields and wet grassland, forming flocks from autumn through to early spring.
Sep–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
A rare winter visitor to gravel pits and reservoirs from November to April. Small numbers favour deeper, open water bodies.
Nov–Apr
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to reservoirs and gravel pits from November to March, far scarcer inland than on the coast.
Nov–Mar
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
A rare winter visitor to the Thames valley floodplains, occasionally grazing wet meadows from December to April.
Dec–Apr
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
A rare winter visitor to open farmland and marshes, occasionally seen quartering fields at Otmoor and other low-lying areas.
Dec–Mar
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare winter visitor to open farmland and downland, occasionally seen dashing low over fields in pursuit of small birds between October and February.
Oct–Feb
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A common winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving in October and foraging in hedgerows and fields. Often found alongside fieldfares in berry-rich areas.
Oct–Apr
Passage
(3)
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare passage visitor, sometimes seen on Farmoor Reservoir in small numbers during autumn or midwinter movements.
Sep–Jan
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
A rare passage visitor, occasionally recorded in January. Primarily a coastal species, making any inland Oxfordshire record notable.
Jan
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
A rare winter visitor, occasionally turning up on flooded fields and reservoirs in the Thames Valley during January and December.
Dec–Jan