Birds to See in Edinburgh in December
102 bird species on our list for Edinburgh are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Blue Tit. New this month: Blackcap, Kittiwake, Horned Grebe and Surf Scoter.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
Leaving soon
From Edinburgh’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 102 birds in December
102 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 5.06% in Dec
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.91% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 4.81% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 4.71% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 4.26% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.26% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.02% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 3.25% in Dec
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.14% in Dec
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.99% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.90% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.84% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.53% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.45% in Dec
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.38% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.34% in Dec
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.14% in Dec
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.91% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.88% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.84% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.74% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.64% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.60% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.22% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Dec
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusWinter visitorCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Dec
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.51% in Dec
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.49% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Dec
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.43% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.37% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.36% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.33% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Dec
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.31% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Dec
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.28% in Dec
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentUncommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Dec
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Dec
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentUncommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.20% in Dec
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentCommon32–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentUncommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Dec
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.14% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.14% in Dec
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.12% in Dec
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusWinter visitorUncommon32–35 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.12% in Dec
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentUncommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.11% in Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.11% in Dec
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaWinter visitorUncommon51–58 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.10% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.09% in Dec
RazorbillAlca tordaWinter visitorUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.09% in Dec
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusWinter visitorUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Jun–Feb · 0.08% in Dec
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorUncommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.08% in Dec
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaWinter visitorUncommon37–42 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.08% in Dec
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.05% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Jan · 0.05% in Dec
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaPassage migrantUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.05% in Dec
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaPassage migrantRare26–29 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 0.05% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.05% in Dec
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.04% in Dec
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.04% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Dec
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Dec · 0.03% in Dec
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