Birds to See in Derry in October
52 bird species on our list for Derry are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Common Starling, Rook, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull. New this month: Eurasian Skylark, Whooper Swan, Purple Sandpiper and Common Raven and 3 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
At their peak
From Derry’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 52 birds in October
52 birds
European Herring GullLarus argentatusSummer visitorCommon55–67 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 4.99% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.89% in Oct
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 3.69% in Oct
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 3.59% in Oct
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 3.29% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusPassage migrantCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 3.09% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 2.99% in Oct
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.99% in Oct
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 2.99% in Oct
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.89% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.69% in Oct
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.59% in Oct
European ShagGulosus aristotelisSummer visitorCommon65–80 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 2.59% in Oct
JackdawColoeus monedulaSummer visitorCommon34–39 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.59% in Oct
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 2.49% in Oct
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.49% in Oct
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 2.49% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–May · 2.39% in Oct
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 2.19% in Oct
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantCommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 1.79% in Oct
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusSummer visitorCommon40–42 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.79% in Oct
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 1.60% in Oct
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 1.60% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.60% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.60% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaSummer visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 1.40% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataSummer visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.30% in Oct
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaPassage migrantCommon26–29 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.30% in Oct
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusSummer visitorCommon11–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.20% in Oct
Great TitParus majorSummer visitorCommonRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.20% in Oct
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 1.10% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 1.00% in Oct
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 1.00% in Oct
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 1.00% in Oct
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.90% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.90% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.90% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.90% in Oct
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.90% in Oct
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.80% in Oct
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRegularly Aug–Nov · 0.80% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosSummer visitorCommon50–65 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.60% in Oct
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRegularly Jul–Nov · 0.60% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.60% in Oct
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantCommon15–16 cmRegularly Jun–Oct · 0.60% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Dec · 0.50% in Oct
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.50% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantCommon30–35 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.50% in Oct
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentUncommon50–90 cmRegularly Oct · 0.40% in Oct
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantCommon20–22 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.40% in Oct
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisPassage migrantCommon13–14 cmRegularly Oct–Nov · 0.40% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly Sep–Nov · 0.30% 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