Birds to See in Scotland in December
160 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
160 bird species on our list for Scotland are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, European Robin and Blackbird. New this month: Spotted Redshank.
Residents
(100)Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Recorded all year
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Recorded all year
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Recorded all year
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Recorded all year
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Recorded all year
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Recorded all year
Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
Recorded all year
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Recorded all year
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
Recorded all year
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Recorded all year
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
Recorded all year
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Recorded all year
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Summer visitors
(11)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Recorded all year
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Recorded all year
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Recorded all year
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Dec
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Recorded all year
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
Recorded all year
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Recorded all year
Winter visitors
(47)Present outside the breeding season
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Sep–Apr
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Recorded all year
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Sep–May
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Aug–Mar
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Recorded all year
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Recorded all year
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Mediterranean Gull
Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC
Regularly Jun–Mar
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Little Auk
Alle alleLC
Regularly Oct–Feb
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillataLC
Regularly Aug–May
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC
Regularly May–Mar
Taiga Bean Goose
Anser fabalisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Recorded all year
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescensLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsiiLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Sep–May
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Grey Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicariusLC
Regularly Sep–Feb
Passage migrants
(2)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
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