Rare Birds in Edinburgh
Our list for Edinburgh has 23 rare birds recorded regularly there: 2 residents, 9 passage migrants and 12 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Edinburgh in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 23, most common first
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantRare58–70 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriScarceRare38–42 cm
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaPassage migrantRare26–29 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantRare14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinusPassage migrantRare30–38 cmRegularly Jun–Aug
Brent GooseBranta berniclaPassage migrantRare55–66 cmRegularly Oct
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentRare44–51 cmRegularly Mar
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Jan
OspreyPandion haliaetusPassage migrantRare54–58 cmRegularly Aug
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaPassage migrantRare58–77 cmRegularly Sep
Barn OwlTyto albaScarceRare33–39 cm
European Green WoodpeckerPicus viridisScarceRare30–36 cmRegularly Jan
PochardAythya ferinaScarceRare42–49 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegenaScarceRare40–50 cmRegularly Mar–Jul
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisScarceRare13–14 cm
Common LoonGavia immerScarceRare66–91 cm
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixResidentRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraPassage migrantRare12–14 cmRegularly Jul
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaScarceRare11–13 cm
MerlinFalco columbariusScarceRare24–33 cm
Northern PintailAnas acutaScarceRare59–76 cm
Red KiteMilvus milvusScarceRare60–66 cm
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusScarceRare17–19 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Lesser Whitethroat 11–13 cm
- Whinchat 12–14 cm
- Twite 13–14 cm
- Brambling 14–16 cm
- Jack Snipe 17–19 cm
- Purple Sandpiper 20–22 cm
- Golden Plover 26–29 cm
- Merlin 24–33 cm
- Grey Partridge 28–32 cm
- European Green Woodpecker 30–36 cm
- Manx Shearwater 30–38 cm
- Barn Owl 33–39 cm
- Rose-ringed Parakeet 38–42 cm
- Red-necked Grebe 40–50 cm
- Pochard 42–49 cm
- Northern Shoveler 44–51 cm
- Osprey 54–58 cm
- Brent Goose 55–66 cm
- Red Kite 60–66 cm
- Barnacle Goose 58–70 cm
- Arctic Loon 58–77 cm
- Northern Pintail 59–76 cm
- Common Loon 66–91 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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