Birds to See in Moray in December
100 species listed for December · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
100 bird species on our list for Moray are recorded regularly in December. Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Great Black-backed Gull, European Robin and Black-headed Gull. New this month: Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, Dipper and Greater Scaup and 1 more.
Residents
(62)Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Recorded all year
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Recorded all year
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Regularly Oct–Dec
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Summer visitors
(9)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Winter visitors
(26)Present outside the breeding season
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Oct–May
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Regularly Jul–May
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Mar
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Aug–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly May–Mar
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Regularly May–Feb
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly Apr–Feb
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Nov–Feb
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
Regularly Sep–May
Crested Tit
Lophophanes cristatusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Grey Partridge
Perdix perdixLC
Regularly Aug–May
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
Regularly Dec–Feb
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