Rare Birds in United Kingdom
Our list for United Kingdom has 101 rare birds recorded regularly there: 16 residents, 14 summer visitors, 22 winter visitors, 36 passage migrants and 1 scarce visitor
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in United Kingdom in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 101, most common first
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxSummer visitorRare58–65 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly May–Nov
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRecorded all year
Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulvaPassage migrantRare23–26 cmRegularly Jul–Aug
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
DotterelEudromias morinellusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Leach's Storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousPassage migrantRare18–21 cmRegularly Jul–Dec
Cirl BuntingEmberiza cirlusRecords withheldRare15–17 cmRegularly Apr–Jul
Spotted CrakePorzana porzanaPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
BluethroatLuscinia svecicaSummer visitorRare13–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Purple HeronArdea purpureaSummer visitorRare78–90 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Sep
Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactylaPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly May–Nov
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusPassage migrantRare46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Pallid SwiftApus pallidusPassage migrantRare16–17 cmRegularly Oct–Nov
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusPassage migrantRare52–60 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Bar-headed GooseAnser indicusResidentRare68–78 cmRecorded all year
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataWinter visitorRare48–60 cmRegularly Aug–May
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
Woodchat ShrikeLanius senatorPassage migrantRare17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorRare57–64 cmRegularly May–Mar
Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalisWinter visitorRare68–88 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
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