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 93–115 of 161 species

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Rissa tridactylaVU

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Mar–Dec

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

Common Kingfisher

Alcedo atthisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Sedge Warbler

Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalisVU

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Feb

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

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadornaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jan–Nov

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

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–Apr

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

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Arctic Jaeger

Arctic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jul–Oct

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

Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jan–Sep

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

Velvet Scoter

Melanitta fuscaVU

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Eurasian Jay

Garrulus glandariusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jun–Apr

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

Gadwall

Mareca streperaLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

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

Common Scoter

Melanitta nigraLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Mar

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

Rock Pipit

Anthus petrosusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jun–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jul–Oct

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

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Nov

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

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritusVU

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Dec–Mar

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

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Aug

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

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Feb

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

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jul–Sep

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

Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Stonechat

Saxicola rubicolaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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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