Birds to See in Belfast in August
76 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in August
Of these, the most often recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Hooded Crow, European Herring Gull and Woodpigeon. New this month: Blackcap, Little Egret, Ruff and Eurasian Wigeon and 10 more.
On the move in August
GBIF · AugArriving
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 76 birds in August
76 birds
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 4.81% in Aug
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 4.62% in Aug
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.93% in Aug
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.88% in Aug
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.88% in Aug
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.30% in Aug
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 3.11% in Aug
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.05% in Aug
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.58% in Aug
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.53% in Aug
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.39% in Aug
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.12% in Aug
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 2.03% in Aug
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 2.03% in Aug
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in Aug
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in Aug
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboSummer visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.98% in Aug
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.95% in Aug
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in Aug
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.79% in Aug
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.79% in Aug
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.70% in Aug
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.70% in Aug
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.70% in Aug
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.68% in Aug
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Aug
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.51% in Aug
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.32% in Aug
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Aug
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 1.24% in Aug
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.15% in Aug
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 1.15% in Aug
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 1.13% in Aug
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.13% in Aug
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.07% in Aug
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 1.02% in Aug
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Aug
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosPassage migrantCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.96% in Aug
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Aug
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.91% in Aug
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 0.85% in Aug
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Aug
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.80% in Aug
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Aug
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.74% in Aug
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in Aug
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.71% in Aug
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Aug
Common SwiftApus apusSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.69% in Aug
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Aug
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.69% in Aug
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.60% in Aug
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Aug
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.60% in Aug
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.60% in Aug
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.58% in Aug
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.41% in Aug
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Aug · 0.38% in Aug
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Aug · 0.38% in Aug
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.36% in Aug
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.33% in Aug
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Jul–Aug · 0.30% in Aug
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.27% in Aug
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaResidentCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Aug · 0.25% in Aug
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.25% in Aug
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.25% in Aug
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.25% in Aug
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Aug
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.22% in Aug
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.22% in Aug
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.16% in Aug
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.16% in Aug
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.16% in Aug
Northern GannetMorus bassanusPassage migrantUncommon87–100 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.14% in Aug
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.11% in Aug
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusSummer visitorCommon37–40 cmRegularly Mar–Aug · 0.11% in Aug
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