Birds in Suffolk
Explore 226 species found in this region.
Suffolk is a remarkable county for birdwatching, with 218 recorded species thriving across its diverse landscapes of coastal marshes, estuaries, heathlands, and ancient woodlands. The county's renowned reserves, including RSPB Minsmere and the Suffolk Coast, attract an impressive range of birds from elegant Common Shelducks and Northern Lapwings on the wetlands to elusive Great Grey Shrikes on the heaths. Whether you're scanning mudflats for Common Sandpipers or listening for Eurasian Woodcock roding at dusk, Suffolk offers outstanding birding opportunities throughout the year.
Visiting in April? Look out for American Bittern and Common Redstart arriving this month, and Eurasian Woodcock and Great Grey Shrike depart for the season.
Showing 116–138 of 226 species
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
A rare winter visitor to the Suffolk coast, favouring shingle beaches and saltmarshes. Most likely in October to January.
Oct–Jan
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A common summer breeder arriving in April, nesting under eaves in Suffolk's towns and villages. Numbers have declined in recent decades.
Apr–Oct
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common year-round resident closely tied to human habitation across Suffolk's towns and villages. Numbers have declined but remain widespread.
Year-round
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
A secretive winter visitor to Suffolk's wet marshes and boggy margins, rarely flushed and easily overlooked from October to April.
Oct–Apr
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
A common year-round resident, often seen in noisy flocks around church towers, farmland and village rooftops across Suffolk.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
A familiar year-round resident, often seen hovering over farmland, road verges and coastal marshes throughout the county.
Year-round
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
An uncommon year-round presence off Suffolk's coast, sometimes driven inshore by storms. Numbers are declining nationally.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Common year-round, frequenting Suffolk's coast, landfill sites and farmland. Breeding numbers peak in summer with passage birds augmenting.
Year-round
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Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
A rare and declining species in Suffolk's mature woodlands. Listen for its high-pitched call in spring among old oaks and dead timber.
Apr
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
An uncommon summer breeder favouring tall hedgerows and scrubby thickets, arriving in April and departing by October.
Apr–Oct
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipesVU
A rare Nearctic vagrant occasionally turning up at Suffolk's coastal marshes, most likely in late autumn.
Nov–Feb
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
A common resident favouring farmland hedgerows, heathland and coastal scrub. Often forms sizeable flocks on stubble fields in winter.
Year-round
Little Auk
Alle alleLC
A rare late-autumn visitor, occasionally driven close to Suffolk's coast by North Sea storms in November and December.
Nov–Dec
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Now a common resident after colonising in the 1990s. Found year-round along estuaries, marshes and inland waterways across Suffolk.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
An uncommon but year-round resident of sheltered ponds, lakes and slow rivers. Its whinnying trill is often heard before the bird is seen.
Year-round
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
An uncommon visitor to Suffolk's coast, most frequently seen at coastal lagoons and offshore from spring through autumn, with its buoyant, tern-like flight.
Apr–Nov
Little Owl
Athene noctuaLC
A scarce resident of Suffolk's farmland, favouring old barns and hedgerow trees. An introduced species now in slow decline.
Mar–Jan
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
An uncommon summer breeder favouring gravel pits and reservoir margins in Suffolk, arriving from March and departing by September.
Mar–Sep
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
A rare visitor to Suffolk's coastal scrapes and pools, mainly seen on passage from late summer into autumn.
May–Oct
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
An uncommon summer breeder nesting on Suffolk's shingle beaches from April to August. Colonies at sites like Minsmere receive active protection.
Apr–Aug
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
A rare winter visitor to Suffolk's coastal waters, occasionally seen off headlands and estuaries from November to January.
Nov–Jan
Long-tailed Jaeger
Stercorarius longicaudusLC
A rare autumn passage seabird, occasionally spotted from Suffolk headlands during September seawatches, often in strong onshore winds.
Sep
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A charming resident seen year-round in hedgerows and woodland edges. Family parties move through in acrobatic, chattering flocks.
Year-round