Rare Birds in Oxfordshire
73 species matching this filter.
Oxfordshire may be a landlocked county, but its diverse habitats — from the Thames floodplain and gravel pit lakes to ancient woodlands and open farmland — attract a surprising variety of rare bird species. With 71 rare species recorded, patient observers may encounter anything from the elusive Eurasian Bittern lurking in reedbeds to passage waders such as Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit stopping off at reservoirs and wetlands. Winter visitors like Brambling, Goldeneye, and Common Scoter add further excitement for birders willing to brave the colder months.
Showing 70–73 of 73 species
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
A scarce passage migrant seen briefly in spring and autumn, favouring rough grassland and scrubby field edges on migration.
Apr–Oct
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
A rare passage migrant, occasionally stopping at muddy margins of gravel pits and reservoirs in August on southward migration.
Aug
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
A rare autumn vagrant from Siberia, occasionally turning up in October in scrubby cover and mixed-tit flocks at migration hotspots.
Oct
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellisLC
A rare visitor in late winter, sometimes picked out among large gull roosts at Farmoor Reservoir or landfill sites.
Feb–Mar