Birds to See in Belfast in October
60 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are European Robin, Hooded Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon and Black-headed Gull. New this month: Eurasian Wigeon and Bullfinch.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctAt 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 60 birds in October
60 birds
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.68% in Oct
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 4.62% in Oct
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.45% in Oct
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.89% in Oct
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 3.72% in Oct
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.15% in Oct
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.04% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.99% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.87% in Oct
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.65% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.48% in Oct
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.37% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.31% in Oct
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.25% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboSummer visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.20% in Oct
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.20% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in Oct
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.97% in Oct
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.97% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.97% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.97% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.69% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.63% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.58% in Oct
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.58% in Oct
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in Oct
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.41% in Oct
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Oct
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.18% in Oct
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.18% in Oct
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Oct
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.01% in Oct
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Oct
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.96% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.96% in Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantCommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.90% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.85% in Oct
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.85% in Oct
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.85% in Oct
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.79% in Oct
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Oct
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.73% in Oct
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusSummer visitorCommon32–35 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.62% in Oct
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Oct
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.56% in Oct
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.56% in Oct
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantCommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.56% in Oct
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.51% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.51% in Oct
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.45% in Oct
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.45% in Oct
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.39% in Oct
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaSummer visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.34% in Oct
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.34% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.34% in Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantCommon20–32 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.34% in Oct
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.23% in Oct
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