Birds to See in Belfast in January
54 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are European Robin, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Hooded Crow and European Herring Gull. New this month: Little Egret, Dunlin, Kestrel and Common Redpoll.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanArriving
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 54 birds in January
54 birds
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.86% in Jan
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 4.80% in Jan
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.75% in Jan
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 4.69% in Jan
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.39% in Jan
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.46% in Jan
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.10% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.05% in Jan
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.99% in Jan
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.75% in Jan
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.40% in Jan
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.34% in Jan
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.28% in Jan
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Jan
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Jan
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.11% in Jan
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.93% in Jan
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.93% in Jan
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.82% in Jan
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.76% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.64% in Jan
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in Jan
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Jan
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Jan
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Jan
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Jan
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Jan
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.23% in Jan
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.23% in Jan
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.17% in Jan
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.17% in Jan
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.11% in Jan
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Jan
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Jan
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.88% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Jan
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.82% in Jan
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.82% in Jan
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Jan
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Jan
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Jan
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.64% in Jan
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.59% in Jan
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.59% in Jan
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.53% in Jan
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.47% in Jan
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.47% in Jan
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.41% in Jan
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.41% in Jan
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.35% in Jan
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jan–Jun · 0.29% in Jan
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.29% in Jan
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.23% in Jan
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Jan · 0.23% in Jan
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