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 · Oct
Share of all bird records in Edinburgh in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 63, most common first
Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaPassage migrantUncommon50–58 cmRegularly Sep
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Garden WarblerSylvia borinPassage migrantUncommon14–15 cmRegularly May–Jun
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaSummer visitorUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Jan–Sep
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Sep
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Dec
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusPassage migrantUncommon37–40 cmRegularly Jul–Jan
Tawny OwlStrix alucoResidentUncommon37–43 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Jan
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Dec
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiScarceUncommon33–41 cmRegularly Jul
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Aug
Water RailRallus aquaticusResidentUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Jul–Mar
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusScarceUncommon34–43 cm
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