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 139–161 of 161 species

Barnacle Goose

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsisLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rose-ringed Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameriLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricariaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Jan

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

Brambling

Fringilla montifringillaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Aug

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

Brent Goose

Branta berniclaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

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

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeataLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Mar

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

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritimaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Jan

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

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Osprey

Osprey

Pandion haliaetusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Aug

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

Arctic Loon

Gavia arcticaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep

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

Barn Owl

Tyto albaLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Green Woodpecker

European Green Woodpecker

Picus viridisLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Jan

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

Pochard

Aythya ferinaVU

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegenaLC

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

Twite

Linaria flavirostrisLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Loon

Common Loon

Gavia immerLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Partridge

Grey Partridge

Perdix perdixLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Apr

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

Whinchat

Saxicola rubetraLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jul

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Curruca currucaLC

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

Merlin

Falco columbariusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail

Anas acutaLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red Kite

Red Kite

Milvus milvusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Jack Snipe

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimusLC

ScarceRare
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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