Birds to See in Eilean Siar in December
76 bird species on our list for Eilean Siar are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Hooded Crow, Common Starling and Mallard. New this month: Common Scoter and Glaucous Gull.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
From Eilean Siar’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 76 birds in December
76 birds
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.90% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 4.39% in Dec
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.87% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.29% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.23% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.06% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 3.00% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.00% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.83% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 2.77% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.31% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.31% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.19% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 2.02% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.96% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaSummer visitorCommon40–47 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.90% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.79% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoSummer visitorCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.62% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.56% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.50% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorSummer visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.38% in Dec
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.38% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.27% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Dec
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaResidentCommon66–94 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 1.04% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.98% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorSummer visitorCommon140–160 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.98% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.92% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.87% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.87% in Dec
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusResidentCommon140–165 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in Dec
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantCommon58–70 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.75% in Dec
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaSummer visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.69% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataSummer visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.69% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.63% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentCommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosSummer visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.63% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusSummer visitorCommon11–12 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.58% in Dec
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.58% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.58% in Dec
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusResidentCommon41–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantCommon20–22 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.58% in Dec
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisPassage migrantCommon15–18 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.52% in Dec
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusWinter visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.52% in Dec
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Dec
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.46% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantCommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.46% in Dec
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.46% in Dec
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.46% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusSummer visitorCommon40–42 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.40% in Dec
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.35% in Dec
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusPassage migrantUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Dec–Jun · 0.35% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.35% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaPassage migrantUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.29% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.29% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusSummer visitorCommon32–39 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.29% in Dec
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Aug–Jan · 0.29% in Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusSummer visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.29% in Dec
BramblingFringilla montifringillaWinter visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.23% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusSummer visitorUncommon30–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.23% in Dec
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