Birds to See in Belfast in April
70 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in April
Of these, the most often recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Hooded Crow and European Herring Gull. New this month: Common Tern, Grey Heron, Blackcap and Little Egret and 12 more.
On the move in April
GBIF · AprArriving
At their peak
From Belfast’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 70 birds in April
70 birds
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.98% in Apr
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.80% in Apr
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 3.68% in Apr
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.65% in Apr
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.54% in Apr
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 3.24% in Apr
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.20% in Apr
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.13% in Apr
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 3.05% in Apr
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.01% in Apr
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.98% in Apr
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.94% in Apr
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.72% in Apr
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.68% in Apr
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.64% in Apr
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.53% in Apr
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.12% in Apr
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.82% in Apr
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 1.75% in Apr
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.67% in Apr
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaResidentCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 1.60% in Apr
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.53% in Apr
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Apr
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.41% in Apr
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosSummer visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 1.34% in Apr
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Jul · 1.27% in Apr
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.23% in Apr
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.12% in Apr
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Apr
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Apr
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.08% in Apr
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.08% in Apr
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.00% in Apr
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.97% in Apr
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.97% in Apr
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Apr
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Apr
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Apr
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Apr
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.82% in Apr
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.82% in Apr
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.78% in Apr
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboSummer visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.78% in Apr
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusSummer visitorCommon37–40 cmRegularly Mar–Aug · 0.78% in Apr
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusSummer visitorCommon27–28 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.78% in Apr
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Apr
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.71% in Apr
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.71% in Apr
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.60% in Apr
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.56% in Apr
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.56% in Apr
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Apr
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaSummer visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.48% in Apr
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorCommon32–35 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.48% in Apr
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.45% in Apr
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.41% in Apr
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in Apr
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.37% in Apr
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.30% in Apr
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.26% in Apr
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.26% in Apr
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.26% in Apr
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.22% in Apr
Northern GannetMorus bassanusPassage migrantUncommon87–100 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.22% in Apr
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.19% in Apr
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.19% in Apr
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.19% in Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantCommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.19% in Apr
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.11% in Apr
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.11% in Apr
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