Birds to See in Belfast in February
59 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are European Robin, Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull, Hooded Crow and Magpie. New this month: Great Cormorant, Black Guillemot, Dunnock and Coal Tit and 11 more.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebArriving
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 59 birds in February
59 birds
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 5.27% in Feb
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 4.73% in Feb
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.55% in Feb
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 4.37% in Feb
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.37% in Feb
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.89% in Feb
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 3.59% in Feb
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.59% in Feb
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.41% in Feb
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 3.35% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.81% in Feb
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.75% in Feb
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.51% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.45% in Feb
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 2.33% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.27% in Feb
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.09% in Feb
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.97% in Feb
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.80% in Feb
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboSummer visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.74% in Feb
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.62% in Feb
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 1.50% in Feb
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.44% in Feb
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.44% in Feb
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosSummer visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 1.44% in Feb
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.38% in Feb
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Feb
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Feb
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Feb
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.08% in Feb
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.02% in Feb
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.02% in Feb
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.02% in Feb
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Feb
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.96% in Feb
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Feb
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Feb
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in Feb
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Feb
PochardAythya ferinaScarceCommon42–49 cmRegularly Feb · 0.72% in Feb
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.60% in Feb
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusSummer visitorCommon27–28 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.60% in Feb
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantCommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.60% in Feb
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.54% in Feb
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.54% in Feb
RedwingTurdus iliacusPassage migrantCommon20–24 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.54% in Feb
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.54% in Feb
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.48% in Feb
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Feb
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaSummer visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.42% in Feb
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.42% in Feb
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaPassage migrantUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.36% in Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Feb
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.30% in Feb
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.30% in Feb
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Feb
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriScarceUncommon38–42 cmRegularly Feb · 0.30% in Feb
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.24% in Feb
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