Birds in West Midlands
Explore 143 species found in this region.
The West Midlands county is home to an impressive 143 recorded bird species, offering surprisingly diverse birdlife for a predominantly urban region. Parks, reservoirs, canals, and green corridors provide vital habitats for species ranging from the familiar Great Tit and Magpie to less expected visitors such as the Common Merganser, Eurasian Woodcock, and Mandarin Duck. Whether you're exploring Sutton Park, Sandwell Valley, or local nature reserves, the West Midlands rewards birdwatchers with a rich variety of resident and migratory species throughout the year.
Visiting in April? Look out for Barn Swallow and Black-necked Grebe arriving this month, and Common Gull and Corn Bunting depart for the season.
Showing 47–69 of 143 species
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
A rare and declining breeder, found on farmland edges and rural gardens from February to June. Far scarcer here than its House Sparrow cousin.
Feb–Jun
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Uncommon on reservoirs and flooded gravel pits, most numerous in autumn and winter with a brief summer absence.
Jul–Apr
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
A rare passage visitor in November and December, flushing from damp woodland floors. Occasionally winters in suitable wet woodland and hedgerows.
Nov–Dec
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
A common and vocal resident of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland undergrowth. Its remarkably loud song rings out across the region all year.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful resident, frequently visiting garden feeders and foraging on teasel and thistle heads year-round.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Resident year-round in parkland and woodland edges, its loud laughing 'yaffle' call often heard before the bird is seen foraging for ants on lawns.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round resident, gathering in large numbers at reservoirs, landfill sites and urban rooftops. Increasingly breeds on buildings.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A familiar and abundant resident of gardens, parks and woodland. One of the region's most confident and visible birds.
Year-round
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Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
An uncommon winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving in October and feeding in flocks on hedgerow berries across farmland.
Oct–Apr
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on reservoirs and gravel pits, often overlooked among flocks of more numerous dabbling ducks.
Year-round
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
A rare summer breeder skulking in dense woodland understorey, its rich warbling song easily confused with Blackcap.
Apr–Aug
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
A rare summer breeder, arriving from March. Favours shallow wetlands with emergent vegetation at key sites.
Mar–Aug
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
A common resident of coniferous and mixed woodland, with its thin, high-pitched call often the only clue to its presence.
Year-round
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
An uncommon winter visitor to larger reservoirs and lakes from November to April, often in small parties.
Nov–Apr
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
A rare and declining summer breeder, best detected by its insect-like reeling song from dense scrub and young plantations.
Apr–Jul
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to reservoirs and tips during the colder months, far less numerous inland than other large gulls.
Oct–Mar
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common year-round resident, frequently seen perched with wings outstretched at reservoirs, gravel pits and canals across the region.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
A common resident performing elaborate courtship displays on reservoirs and larger lakes. Breeds widely across the region's open water bodies.
Year-round
Great Skua
Catharacta skuaLC
A rare October passage visitor, occasionally storm-blown inland to large reservoirs. A dramatic seabird sighting for this landlocked region.
Oct
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
A common resident of mature woodland and gardens, its rapid drumming on branches is a familiar sound in parks across the region year-round.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common and confident garden visitor year-round, readily using nest boxes in suburban areas and woodland throughout the region.
Year-round
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
An increasingly recorded but still rare visitor, favouring reservoirs and wetlands from late summer into autumn. Part of a wider UK range expansion.
Jul–Dec
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A rare but regular passage visitor from July to October, favouring muddy margins of reservoirs and sewage works on its southward migration.
Jul–Oct