Rare Birds in Wiltshire
Our list for Wiltshire has 19 rare birds recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 1 winter visitor, 6 passage migrants and 7 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Wiltshire in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 19, most common first
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantRare40–46 cmRegularly Apr–May
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly Apr
Black SwanCygnus atratusWinter visitorRare110–142 cmRegularly Sep–Jun
Cattle EgretArdea ibisScarceRare46–56 cm
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentRare40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Jul
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentRare52–68 cmRegularly Dec–Jun
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusPassage migrantRare17–19 cmRegularly Dec–Aug
OspreyPandion haliaetusPassage migrantRare54–58 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentRare38–42 cmRegularly Nov–Apr
Black TernChlidonias nigerScarceRare22–26 cm
Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minorPassage migrantRare14–16 cmRegularly Dec–May
NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchosPassage migrantRare15–17 cmRegularly Apr–May
Wood SandpiperTringa glareolaScarceRare19–21 cm
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusScarceRare140–165 cm
European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleucaScarceRare12–14 cm
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusScarceRare25–30 cm
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaScarceRare42–45 cm
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusResidentRare37–40 cmRegularly Jul
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentRare17–20 cmRegularly Jun
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- European Pied Flycatcher 12–14 cm
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 14–16 cm
- Nightingale 15–17 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Dipper 17–20 cm
- Wood Sandpiper 19–21 cm
- Black Tern 22–26 cm
- Little Gull 25–30 cm
- Mediterranean Gull 37–40 cm
- Garganey 37–41 cm
- Rose-ringed Parakeet 38–42 cm
- Black-tailed Godwit 40–44 cm
- Whimbrel 40–46 cm
- Avocet 42–45 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Yellow-legged Gull 52–68 cm
- Black Swan 110–142 cm
- Whooper Swan 140–165 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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