Birds to See in Midlothian in December
80 bird species on our list for Midlothian are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and European Herring Gull. New this month: Redshank, Mediterranean Gull, Jack Snipe and Water Rail.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
From Midlothian’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 80 birds in December
80 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.03% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.73% in Dec
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.45% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.35% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.21% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.14% in Dec
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.12% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 3.05% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.91% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.89% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.77% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 2.72% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.65% in Dec
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.63% in Dec
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.21% in Dec
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.93% in Dec
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.86% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Dec
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.75% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.65% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.63% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.56% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.56% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.54% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 1.51% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.14% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Dec
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.93% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Dec
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Dec
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.88% in Dec
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Dec
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.70% in Dec
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentCommon32–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisResidentCommon16–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.63% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.63% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.58% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.51% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoSummer visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.49% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Dec
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.37% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaWinter visitorCommon37–42 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.35% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisWinter visitorUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.33% in Dec
Tawny OwlStrix alucoResidentCommon37–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Dec
LinnetLinaria cannabinaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Dec
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Dec
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusPassage migrantUncommon37–40 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.26% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraSummer visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.21% in Dec
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaResidentCommon32–34 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.21% in Dec
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Dec
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusPassage migrantUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.19% in Dec
Water RailRallus aquaticusResidentUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.19% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusSummer visitorUncommon27–29 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.12% 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