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 116–138 of 161 species

Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arcticaVU

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Aug

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

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Nov–Jan

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

Red Grouse

Lagopus scoticaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Jun

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

Cuckoo

Cuculus canorusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

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

Wheatear

Oenanthe oenantheLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naeviaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Jul

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

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Jun

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

Great Skua

Stercorarius skuaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep

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

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Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Garden Warbler

Sylvia borinLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-legged Partridge

Red-legged Partridge

Alectoris rufaNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jan–Sep

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

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striataLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

Surf Scoter

Melanitta perspicillataLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Dec

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

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jul–Jan

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

Tawny Owl

Strix alucoLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Mar–Jan

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

Red Crossbill

Loxia curvirostraLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Jul–Sep

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

Sanderling

Calidris albaLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Aug–Jan

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

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Dec

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug–Oct

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

Roseate Tern

Sterna dougalliiLC

ScarceUncommon

Regularly Jul

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

Tree Pipit

Anthus trivialisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug

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

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticusLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Jul–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeusLC

ScarceUncommon
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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