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Records 2019–2024 · GBIF

Birds in Aberdeen

Our list for Aberdeen has 154 bird species recorded regularly there: 63 residents, 28 summer visitors, 23 winter visitors, 25 passage migrants and 15 scarce visitors

The list comes from 82,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Species on our list
154
In October
100
Common
92
Busiest month
May

What's special about Aberdeen

vs Scotland

The birds recorded far more often here than across Scotland, as a share of all bird records. These are the ones Aberdeen is worth visiting for.

  1. Purple SandpiperPurple Sandpiper4.9×Winter visitor · 0.48% of records here, 0.10% across Scotland
  2. Common TernCommon Tern3.3×Summer visitor · 0.70% of records here, 0.21% across Scotland
  3. Sandwich TernSandwich Tern3.2×Summer visitor · 0.78% of records here, 0.24% across Scotland
  4. Water RailWater Rail3.2×Winter visitor · 0.16% of records here, 0.05% across Scotland
  5. KittiwakeKittiwake2.8×Summer visitor · 1.2% of records here, 0.44% across Scotland
  6. Common MerganserCommon Merganser2.7×Resident · 1.1% of records here, 0.41% across Scotland
  7. Bohemian WaxwingBohemian Waxwing2.3×Passage migrant · 0.06% of records here, 0.03% across Scotland
  8. Ringed PloverRinged Plover2.0×Resident · 0.98% of records here, 0.50% across Scotland

This month: October

GBIF · Oct

Most likely

  1. European Herring GullEuropean Herring Gull4.82%
  2. Carrion CrowCarrion Crow4.40%
  3. European RobinEuropean Robin3.67%
  4. MagpieMagpie3.20%
  5. WoodpigeonWoodpigeon3.01%
  6. Eurasian OystercatcherEurasian Oystercatcher2.81%

Arriving now

  1. RedwingRedwingWinter visitorSep 0.01% → Oct 1.26%
  2. Long-tailed TitLong-tailed TitResidentSep 0.12% → Oct 0.63%
  3. Yellow-browed WarblerYellow-browed WarblerPassage migrantSep 0.03% → Oct 0.26%
  4. FieldfareFieldfareWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.24%
  5. Common RedpollCommon RedpollResidentSep 0.14% → Oct 0.24%
  6. BullfinchBullfinchWinter visitorSep 0.03% → Oct 0.19%

Share of all bird records in Aberdeen in October, 2019–2024. “Arriving now” are the birds whose share rises most from last month. Each month links to that month’s page.

Near you this week

The birds most likely around your town or postcode right now, from the same records, for a square about 9 km across.

The bird calendar for Aberdeen

Month by month

When each bird is around, through the year. The darker the square, the closer that month is to the bird’s busiest. Filter by summer or winter visitors to see the seasons turn over.

The year in Aberdeen

Records by month
Bird records in Aberdeen by month, 2019–2024
January7,234
February5,718
March6,331
April7,537
May11,206
June8,786
July7,022
August7,088
September7,201
October6,187
November4,419
December2,985

May has the most records (11,000). Records follow birdwatchers as well as birds: a busy month means more people out looking, as well as more birds passing through.

By family

12 of 26
All 26 families in Aberdeen

How common

More of Scotland

All of Scotland

All 154 birds, A to Z

Show all 154 birds

Questions

4

What birds is Aberdeen known for?

Compared with the rest of Scotland, Aberdeen stands out for Purple Sandpiper, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern and Water Rail. Each is recorded at least 3.2 times as often here as across Scotland, as a share of all bird records (2019–2024).

How many birds are on Birdfact's list for Aberdeen?

154 species, each recorded regularly in Aberdeen (in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024): 63 residents, 28 summer visitors, 23 winter visitors, 25 passage migrants and 15 scarce visitors. The list includes only birds with a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur in Aberdeen, and rarer vagrants are not listed.

What birds can I see in Aberdeen in October?

100 species on our list for Aberdeen are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, European Robin, Magpie and Woodpigeon.

What are the most common birds in Aberdeen?

Of the birds on our list, the ones birdwatchers record most often in Aberdeen are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Blackbird and Woodpigeon.

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

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