Uncommon Birds in Edinburgh
Our list for Edinburgh has 63 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 14 residents, 9 summer visitors, 21 winter visitors, 17 passage migrants and 2 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 63, most common first
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentUncommon17–20 cmRecorded all year
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRecorded all year
RazorbillAlca tordaWinter visitorUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Jul–May
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentUncommon12–15 cmRecorded all year
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentUncommon54–67 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorUncommon16–22 cmRecorded all year
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantUncommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Oct
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorUncommon34–38 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentUncommon28–31 cmRecorded all year
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRecorded all year
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Jul–May
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaPassage migrantUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenusSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Feb
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