Birds in Oxfordshire
Explore 174 species found in this region.
Oxfordshire is home to a remarkably diverse range of birdlife, with 172 species recorded across the county's varied habitats. From the wetlands of the Thames Valley, which attract species such as Common Shelduck, Northern Pintail and Common Sandpiper, to the ancient woodlands sheltering Eurasian Woodcock and Mandarin Duck, the county offers excellent birding opportunities year-round. Notable sightings include scarcer visitors like the Bluethroat alongside familiar garden favourites such as the Great Tit and Magpie.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Bar-tailed Godwit arriving this month, and Avocet and Brambling depart for the season.
Showing 162–174 of 174 species
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
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
A rare passage visitor to open downland and ploughed fields in spring and autumn. Does not typically breed in the county but passes through on migration.
Mar–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
A rare spring passage migrant, briefly passing through in April. Listen for its distinctive seven-note whistling call overhead.
Apr
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
A scarce passage migrant seen briefly in spring and autumn, favouring rough grassland and scrubby field edges on migration.
Apr–Oct
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
A common summer breeder arriving in April, favouring hedgerows and scrubby farmland edges. Its scratchy song is a hallmark of the Oxfordshire countryside.
Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
An uncommon summer breeder found in scrubby woodland edges and young plantations. Has declined significantly in lowland England, making Oxfordshire sightings increasingly valued.
Mar–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
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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 Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
An uncommon summer breeder of damp meadows and arable farmland, arriving in April. Has declined significantly and is now largely confined to favoured lowland sites.
Apr–Sep
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.
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