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.

All 115 birds in September

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.

115
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Whooper Swan (165 cm)49 families

All 161 birds on the list

Showing 70–92 of 161 species

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos majorLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Kestrel

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Linnet

Linnet

Linaria cannabinaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclusLC

ResidentCommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet

Morus bassanusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelopeLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serratorLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Dipper

Dipper

Cinclus cinclusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Shag

European Shag

Gulosus aristotelisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Razorbill

Razorbill

Alca tordaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Nuthatch

Eurasian Nuthatch

Sitta europaeaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Raven

Common Raven

Corvus coraxLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Dunlin

Dunlin

Calidris alpinaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-throated Loon

Red-throated Loon

Gavia stellataLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jun–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Arctic Tern

Arctic Tern

Sterna paradisaeaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Teal

Eurasian Teal

Anas creccaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Emberiza citrinellaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greenshank

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellusNT

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

Acanthis flammeaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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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

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