Birds to See in Down in October
80 bird species on our list for Down are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are House Sparrow, European Robin, Coal Tit, Great Tit and Rock Dove. New this month: European Shag, Kittiwake, Greylag Goose and Eurasian Skylark and 11 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
At their peak
From Down’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 80 birds in October
80 birds
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 5.56% in Oct
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 5.13% in Oct
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 5.03% in Oct
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 3.82% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.79% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.70% in Oct
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.36% in Oct
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 3.20% in Oct
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.01% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.98% in Oct
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.95% in Oct
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.92% in Oct
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 2.83% in Oct
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.73% in Oct
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.67% in Oct
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.02% in Oct
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.93% in Oct
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.62% in Oct
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Oct
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 1.46% in Oct
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 1.40% in Oct
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in Oct
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Oct
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentCommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.18% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaSummer visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.15% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Oct
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Oct
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Oct
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.84% in Oct
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.78% in Oct
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.78% in Oct
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRegularly Aug–Jan · 0.78% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.68% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantCommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.65% in Oct
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.65% in Oct
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Oct
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.59% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisSummer visitorCommon23–29 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.59% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.59% in Oct
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Oct
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.53% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.47% in Oct
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.47% in Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusPassage migrantUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.47% in Oct
Common RavenCorvus coraxSummer visitorUncommon54–67 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.40% in Oct
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.40% in Oct
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.40% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusSummer visitorCommon30–38 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.37% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.37% in Oct
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentUncommon40–47 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.37% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.34% in Oct
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.31% in Oct
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.31% in Oct
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.31% in Oct
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaPassage migrantUncommon26–29 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.28% in Oct
Greylag GooseAnser anserWinter visitorCommon75–90 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.28% in Oct
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.28% in Oct
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Oct
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.25% in Oct
CootFulica atraSummer visitorUncommon36–42 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.25% in Oct
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.25% in Oct
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.25% in Oct
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.25% in Oct
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentCommon12–13 cmRegularly Jun–Jan · 0.25% in Oct
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantUncommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.25% in Oct
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantUncommon15–16 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.22% in Oct
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.19% in Oct
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.16% in Oct
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraPassage migrantUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Sep–Dec · 0.16% in Oct
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.16% in Oct
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentUncommon53–69 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.16% in Oct
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Jul–Jan · 0.12% in Oct
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.12% in Oct
RazorbillAlca tordaResidentUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.12% 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