Birds to See in Edinburgh in October
112 bird species on our list for Edinburgh are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, European Robin and Blue Tit. New this month: Redwing, Fieldfare, Goldeneye and Long-tailed Duck and 8 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
At their peak
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 112 birds in October
112 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 5.10% in Oct
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.75% in Oct
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 4.62% in Oct
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.54% in Oct
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.39% in Oct
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.33% in Oct
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.29% in Oct
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 3.09% in Oct
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.90% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.82% in Oct
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.73% in Oct
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.46% in Oct
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.22% in Oct
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.21% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.11% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 2.06% in Oct
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.86% in Oct
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.83% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.78% in Oct
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.75% in Oct
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.67% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.51% in Oct
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.46% in Oct
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Oct
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.11% in Oct
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.09% in Oct
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Oct
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Oct
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Oct
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Oct
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusWinter visitorCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Oct
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Oct
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Oct
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.71% in Oct
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Oct
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Oct
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Oct
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.59% in Oct
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.56% in Oct
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Oct
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Oct
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Oct
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.53% in Oct
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Oct
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Oct
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Oct
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Oct
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.36% in Oct
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.36% in Oct
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Oct
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentUncommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Oct
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Oct
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Oct
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Oct
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.33% in Oct
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Oct
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Oct
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Oct
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Oct
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.27% in Oct
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.27% in Oct
RazorbillAlca tordaWinter visitorUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.25% in Oct
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Oct
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentUncommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Oct
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.22% in Oct
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.22% in Oct
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.22% in Oct
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Oct
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.21% in Oct
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentUncommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Oct
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Oct
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusWinter visitorUncommon32–35 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.19% in Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.18% in Oct
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Jul–Oct · 0.17% in Oct
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.17% in Oct
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentUncommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Oct
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Oct
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusWinter visitorUncommon16–18 cmRegularly Jun–Feb · 0.16% in Oct
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.16% in Oct
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentCommon32–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.15% in Oct
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusPassage migrantUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Sep–Nov · 0.14% in Oct
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.13% in Oct
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.12% in Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaPassage migrantUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Oct · 0.10% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.10% in Oct
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorUncommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.08% in Oct
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.08% in Oct
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.07% in Oct
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.06% in Oct
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.06% in Oct
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Aug–Oct · 0.06% in Oct
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaWinter visitorUncommon51–58 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Oct
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantRare58–70 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.05% in Oct
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.04% in Oct
Tawny OwlStrix alucoResidentUncommon37–43 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.04% in Oct
Brent GooseBranta berniclaPassage migrantRare55–66 cmRegularly Oct · 0.03% in Oct
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Oct
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantRare14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Oct
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusPassage migrantUncommon37–40 cmRegularly Jul–Jan · 0.03% in Oct
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaWinter visitorUncommon37–42 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.03% in Oct
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.02% in Oct
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Jan · 0.02% 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