Birds to See in Fife in December
123 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
123 bird species on our list for Fife are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon and European Robin. New this month: Smew and Red Crossbill.
Residents
(82)Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Nov–Sep
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Aug–Jan
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Recorded all year
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Recorded all year
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandraLC
Recorded all year
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Regularly Nov–Apr
Summer visitors
(5)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Winter visitors
(33)Present outside the breeding season
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Oct–May
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Apr
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
Regularly Jul–May
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Recorded all year
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Recorded all year
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Sep–Mar
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly May–Mar
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Smew
Mergellus albellusLC
Regularly Dec–Mar
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Aug–Feb
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Passage migrants
(3)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
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