Rare Birds in England
Our list for England has 94 rare birds recorded regularly there: 17 residents, 13 summer visitors, 24 winter visitors, 37 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in England in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 94, most common first
European Storm-petrelHydrobates pelagicusPassage migrantRare14–18 cmRegularly Jun–Nov
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentRare15–17 cmRecorded all year
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisResidentRare28–34 cmRecorded all year
Willow TitPoecile montanusResidentRare11–12 cmRecorded all year
Common CraneGrus grusResidentRare100–130 cmRecorded all year
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentRare17–20 cmRecorded all year
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaWinter visitorRare58–77 cmRegularly Sep–May
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorRare31–38 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaWinter visitorRare51–58 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
WryneckJynx torquillaPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Balearic ShearwaterPuffinus mauretanicusPassage migrantRare35–40 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisPassage migrantRare43–51 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaResidentRare37–42 cmRecorded all year
HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustesWinter visitorRare17–18 cmRecorded all year
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioSummer visitorRare16–18 cmRegularly May–Oct
Wood WarblerPhylloscopus sibilatrixSummer visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxSummer visitorRare39–43 cmRecorded all year
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiSummer visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly May–Sep
Little AukAlle allePassage migrantRare18–21 cmRegularly Oct–Dec
Temminck's StintCalidris temminckiiPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Jan
Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferrugineaSummer visitorRare58–70 cmRecorded all year
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixSummer visitorRare16–18 cmRegularly May–Aug
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made