Birds in England
Explore 274 species found in this region.
England is home to an impressive diversity of birdlife, with 257 recorded species found across its varied landscapes — from coastal estuaries and chalk downlands to ancient woodlands and upland moors. Notable species include the striking Bluethroat, the charismatic Dotterel of mountain plateaux, and the elegant Eurasian Woodcock hidden among forest floors. Whether you're watching Great Tits in a suburban garden or scanning mudflats for Common Shelduck, England offers outstanding birding opportunities throughout the year.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Bar-headed Goose arriving this month, and Bluethroat and Cackling Goose depart for the season.
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Get Your Free DigestShowing 70–92 of 274 species
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common and widespread resident of gardens, hedgerows, and woodland undergrowth. Often overlooked, it shuffles quietly beneath bird feeders.
Year-round
Egyptian Goose
Alopochen aegyptiacaLC
An established non-native resident, originally from Africa, now breeding widely across England. Commonly seen on park lakes and grassy riverbanks, often with large broods.
Year-round
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
A year-round resident along northern and eastern coasts, favouring rocky shores and sheltered estuaries. Males sport striking black-and-white plumage.
Year-round
Eurasian Bittern
Botaurus stellarisLC
A secretive heron of reedbeds, best known for the male's booming call in spring. Conservation efforts have helped this once-rare resident recover at key wetland sites.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
A common year-round resident of gardens, farms, and urban areas. Its monotonous three-syllable call is a familiar sound.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
A colourful resident of broadleaved and mixed woodland, commonly visiting garden feeders. Buries thousands of acorns each autumn, aiding oak regeneration.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A common resident of mature deciduous woodland and parkland, readily visiting garden feeders. Absent from northern Scotland but widespread across England.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A common resident of coasts, estuaries, and increasingly inland fields. Its piping call is a familiar sound on English shores.
Year-round
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Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
A common resident that breeds in conifer woodlands and visits garden feeders in winter. Flocks are often detected by their tinkling flight calls.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
A common but declining resident of farmland and open grassland, celebrated for its soaring song flight over fields across England.
Year-round
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, now breeding at a handful of sites. Most reliably seen at coastal wetlands in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Year-round
Eurasian Stone-curlew
Burhinus oedicnemusLC
An uncommon breeding visitor to dry heathlands and chalk grasslands, mainly in East Anglia and Wessex, arriving from March and departing by October.
Mar–Oct
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
A common but declining resident, now largely restricted to farmland in the Midlands and eastern England. Often found near hedgerows and farms.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Common year-round, with large winter flocks on estuaries and flooded grasslands. The male's whistling call is a characteristic sound of English wetlands in winter.
Year-round
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
An uncommon resident of damp woodlands, with numbers swelled by continental arrivals in autumn. Most easily seen during its roding display flights.
Oct–Jul
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of England's most abundant birds, found in virtually every habitat with low cover. Its remarkably loud song belies its tiny size.
Year-round
European Bee-eater
Merops apiasterLC
A rare but increasingly recorded summer visitor, occasionally attempting to breed. Sightings cause great excitement, mainly along the south coast.
May–Aug
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A common and colourful year-round resident of gardens, parks, and farmland edges. Often seen in flocks feeding on seed heads.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A common resident of woodlands, parklands and gardens, easily recognised by its loud, laughing call and undulating flight.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common year-round resident found along coasts, at landfill sites and increasingly in urban areas. Numbers have declined significantly in recent decades.
Year-round
European Honey-buzzard
Pernis apivorusLC
A rare and secretive summer breeder in mature woodland, arriving in May. Feeds largely on wasp and bee larvae dug from underground nests.
May–Sep
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
An uncommon summer visitor favouring oak woodlands, mainly in western and northern England. Readily uses nestboxes where provided.
Apr–Oct
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
One of England's most familiar and beloved garden birds, present year-round. Sings throughout winter and fiercely defends territories in hedgerows, parks, and woodlands.
Year-round