Birds to See in Moray in September
117 bird species on our list for Moray are recorded regularly in September
Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Great Black-backed Gull. New this month: Goldeneye, Pink-footed Goose, Common Scoter and Purple Sandpiper and 13 more.
On the move in September
GBIF · SepArriving
At their peak
From Moray’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 117 birds in September
117 birds
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.93% in Sep
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 3.19% in Sep
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.78% in Sep
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.73% in Sep
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.69% in Sep
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 2.61% in Sep
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.42% in Sep
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.40% in Sep
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.38% in Sep
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRecorded all year · 2.18% in Sep
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Sep
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.97% in Sep
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.78% in Sep
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Sep
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Sep
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 1.72% in Sep
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Sep
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.56% in Sep
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.54% in Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.51% in Sep
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorCommon36–41 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 1.46% in Sep
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Sep
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.36% in Sep
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 1.34% in Sep
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Sep
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 1.30% in Sep
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.25% in Sep
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Sep
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Sep
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Sep
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 1.13% in Sep
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Sep
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Sep
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in Sep
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in Sep
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in Sep
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.98% in Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.96% in Sep
LinnetLinaria cannabinaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Sep
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Sep
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.87% in Sep
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in Sep
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Sep
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Sep
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.82% in Sep
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.81% in Sep
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorCommon43–54 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.75% in Sep
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Sep
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Sep
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Sep
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Sep
House MartinDelichon urbicumSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.70% in Sep
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Sep
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Sep
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Sep
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Sep
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Sep
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.58% in Sep
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Sep
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.57% in Sep
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Sep
OspreyPandion haliaetusSummer visitorCommon54–58 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.51% in Sep
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Sep
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Sep
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Sep
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Sep
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.46% in Sep
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentUncommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Sep
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Sep
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusWinter visitorCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Sep
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.41% in Sep
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.39% in Sep
Common TernSterna hirundoSummer visitorCommon31–35 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.38% in Sep
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Sep
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.36% in Sep
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusWinter visitorUncommon32–35 cmRegularly May–Feb · 0.34% in Sep
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.33% in Sep
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaPassage migrantUncommon40–44 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.31% in Sep
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Sep
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Sep
WheatearOenanthe oenanthePassage migrantUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.31% in Sep
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Sep
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Sep
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixWinter visitorCommon28–32 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.29% in Sep
MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Sep
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Sep
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.27% in Sep
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Aug–Sep · 0.24% in Sep
Common RavenCorvus coraxSummer visitorUncommon54–67 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 0.24% in Sep
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.24% in Sep
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusSummer visitorCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Sep
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorCommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.24% in Sep
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.21% in Sep
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Sep
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosSummer visitorCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Sep
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorCommon20–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.19% in Sep
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusPassage migrantUncommon48–56 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.19% in Sep
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorCommon33–39 cmRegularly May–Sep · 0.17% in Sep
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusPassage migrantUncommon25–30 cmRegularly Sep · 0.17% in Sep
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaSummer visitorUncommon37–42 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.15% in Sep
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Sep–Oct · 0.12% in Sep
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaPassage migrantUncommon26–29 cmRegularly Aug–Jan · 0.12% in Sep
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.12% in Sep
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly Jun–Sep · 0.10% in Sep
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in Sep
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraSummer visitorUncommon15–17 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.10% in Sep
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaResidentUncommon58–77 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.09% in Sep
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorUncommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.09% in Sep
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaPassage migrantUncommon50–58 cmRegularly Aug–Sep · 0.09% in Sep
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusPassage migrantUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Sep · 0.09% in Sep
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaResidentUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.07% in Sep
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaWinter visitorCommon51–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.07% in Sep
Crested TitLophophanes cristatusWinter visitorUncommon11–12 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.05% in Sep
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.05% in Sep
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