Birds to See in Edinburgh in September
115 bird species on our list for Edinburgh are recorded regularly in September
Of these, the most often recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, European Robin and Lesser Black-backed Gull. New this month: Pink-footed Goose, Eurasian Skylark, Reed Bunting and Little Gull and 6 more.
On the move in September
GBIF · SepArriving
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 115 birds in September
115 birds
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 5.39% in Sep
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.89% in Sep
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.65% in Sep
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.47% in Sep
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 3.47% in Sep
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.43% in Sep
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.39% in Sep
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.35% in Sep
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.14% in Sep
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.71% in Sep
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.65% in Sep
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.57% in Sep
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in Sep
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.00% in Sep
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.99% in Sep
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Sep
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.80% in Sep
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.71% in Sep
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 1.70% in Sep
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.60% in Sep
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in Sep
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in Sep
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Sep
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Sep
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Sep
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.16% in Sep
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.16% in Sep
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 1.15% in Sep
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Sep
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Sep
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in Sep
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in Sep
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.01% in Sep
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Sep
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Sep
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in Sep
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Sep
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Sep
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Sep
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in Sep
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Sep
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.67% in Sep
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.66% in Sep
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Sep
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Sep
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Sep
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Sep
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Sep
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Sep
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Sep
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.48% in Sep
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.47% in Sep
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Sep
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Sep
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.42% in Sep
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.41% in Sep
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentCommon32–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Sep
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusWinter visitorCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Sep
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Sep
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Sep
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Sep
RazorbillAlca tordaWinter visitorUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.38% in Sep
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.37% in Sep
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Sep
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Sep
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.31% in Sep
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentUncommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Sep
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentUncommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Sep
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Sep
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Sep
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.27% in Sep
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.26% in Sep
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Sep
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.24% in Sep
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentUncommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Sep
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.24% in Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.23% in Sep
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.22% in Sep
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.20% in Sep
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Jul–Oct · 0.18% in Sep
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.18% in Sep
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.18% in Sep
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.17% in Sep
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.17% in Sep
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Sep
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaPassage migrantUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Jul–Oct · 0.14% in Sep
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Sep
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentUncommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Sep
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.13% in Sep
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.13% in Sep
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusWinter visitorUncommon32–35 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.11% in Sep
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Oct · 0.10% in Sep
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Sep
WhitethroatCurruca communisSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.10% in Sep
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.09% in Sep
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusPassage migrantUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Sep–Nov · 0.09% in Sep
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaPassage migrantUncommon50–58 cmRegularly Sep · 0.08% in Sep
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.08% in Sep
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorUncommon45–50 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.07% in Sep
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Sep
Tawny OwlStrix alucoResidentUncommon37–43 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.06% in Sep
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.06% in Sep
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaWinter visitorUncommon37–42 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.05% in Sep
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Sep
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Jul–Sep · 0.05% in Sep
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaResidentRare58–77 cmRegularly Sep · 0.03% in Sep
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantRare58–70 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.03% in Sep
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.03% in Sep
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Jul–Sep · 0.03% in Sep
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaSummer visitorUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.03% in Sep
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusPassage migrantUncommon37–40 cmRegularly Jul–Jan · 0.02% in Sep
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.02% in Sep
Water RailRallus aquaticusResidentUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.02% in Sep
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