Birds in Edinburgh
161 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
Our list for Edinburgh has 161 bird species recorded regularly there: 68 residents, 23 summer visitors, 30 winter visitors, 26 passage migrants and 14 scarce visitors.
The list comes from 209,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.
Birds to see in Edinburgh in September
115 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

Woodpigeon
Resident

Carrion Crow
Resident

Magpie
Resident

European Robin
Resident

Lesser Black-backed Gull
Summer visitor

Jackdaw
Resident

European Herring Gull
Resident

Blue Tit
Resident
Arriving in September: Pink-footed Goose, Eurasian Skylark, Reed Bunting, Little Gull, Great Skua, Red-legged Partridge, Spotted Flycatcher, Red Crossbill and 3 more.
Through the year
Species recorded regularly in Edinburgh each month: most in September (115), fewest in February (101). Choose a month to see its birds.
All 161 birds on the list
Showing 24–46 of 161 species

Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year

Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year

Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Mar

Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Dec–Sep

Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year

Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct

Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year

Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Spotted something?
Upload a photo to identify it
Identify
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep

Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year

Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year

Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year

Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Mar

Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep

Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year

Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year

Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year

Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year

Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year

Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year

Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year

Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Recorded all year

Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Frequently Asked Questions
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