Birds in Rutland
Explore 201 species found in this region.
Rutland, England's smallest county, punches well above its weight when it comes to birdlife, with 192 species recorded across its diverse habitats. The centrepiece is Rutland Water, one of the largest reservoirs in Europe and a nationally important site for wildfowl and wading birds, attracting species such as Northern Pintail, Common Shelduck, and Pink-footed Goose. From the woodlands sheltering Eurasian Woodcock and Great Tit to the open farmland favoured by Northern Lapwing, Rutland offers exceptional birding opportunities year-round.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Bar-tailed Godwit arriving this month, and Black Redstart and Brent Goose depart for the season.
Showing 116–138 of 201 species
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
A common breeding visitor from March to September, favouring gravel shores and muddy margins around Rutland Water's lagoons and reservoir edges.
Mar–Sep
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor, most often seen on autumn passage at Rutland Water's muddy lagoons. Tiny and active, feeding busily at the water's edge.
Aug–May
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
A rare breeding visitor from April to July, occasionally nesting at Rutland Water. This delicate tern is one of the UK's rarest breeding seabirds.
Apr–Jul
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceusNT
A rare Nearctic vagrant, occasionally recorded at Rutland Water in March and October among other waders.
Oct–Mar
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
A rare winter visitor to Rutland Water, present from November to April. This elegant sea duck is always a notable inland find.
Nov–Apr
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A charming resident seen in busy, acrobatic flocks moving through hedgerows and woodland edges. Family parties are a delight in autumn.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A bold and conspicuous resident found in gardens, hedgerows and farmland across Rutland, often seen in noisy family groups.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
The most familiar duck in Rutland, abundant year-round on the reservoir, rivers, farm ponds, and even village streams.
Year-round
Spotted something?
Upload a photo to identify it
Identify
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring wooded streams and sheltered bays. The ornate males are a striking sight in winter plumage.
Year-round
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
An uncommon resident of mature deciduous woodland, nationally declining. Despite its name, prefers dry broadleaved woods rather than marshes.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
A common resident of open grassland and farmland, present most of the year with numbers swelling in autumn as passage birds move through.
Aug–May
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
An uncommon resident, often one of the earliest songsters in late winter. Favours parkland and open woodland with scattered tall trees across Rutland.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
A common resident of ponds, streams, and wetland margins throughout Rutland. Breeds readily around Rutland Water's edges.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A familiar and elegant resident of Rutland Water and local rivers, nesting along sheltered bays and often seen with cygnets in summer.
Year-round
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchosLC
An uncommon breeding visitor from April to June, more often heard than seen singing from dense scrub and thickets in the county's woodlands.
Apr–Jun
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
A common year-round resident of Rutland's farmland and wetlands, with large winter flocks gathering around the reservoir.
Year-round
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Present year-round but most numerous in winter, when elegant flocks gather on Rutland Water's open shallows and muddy margins.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Common year-round at Rutland Water, with numbers peaking in winter. Easily spotted sweeping its distinctive spatulate bill through shallow water.
Year-round
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
The star of Rutland Water's celebrated reintroduction project, breeding pairs return each spring and are easily watched from dedicated viewpoints.
Mar–Sep
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotosLC
A rare transatlantic vagrant and passage migrant, occasionally appearing at Rutland Water's lagoons from August to October. Always a notable record.
Aug–Oct
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, occasionally seen hunting over Rutland Water and open farmland. Sometimes nests on churches and tall structures.
Year-round
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
A rare visitor, mainly recorded in winter and early spring. Small skeins occasionally pass over or drop in at Rutland Water.
Oct–Jun
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
A common resident with large winter rafts on Rutland Water, though nationally declining. One of the reservoir's key wintering wildfowl species.
Year-round