Birds to See in North Ayrshire in December
82 bird species on our list for North Ayrshire are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull and Magpie. New this month: Common Shelduck, Common Loon, Great Crested Grebe and Arctic Loon and 1 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From North Ayrshire’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 82 birds in December
82 birds
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 6.79% in Dec
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 6.12% in Dec
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 4.51% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 4.19% in Dec
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.20% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 3.01% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.66% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.59% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.59% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.43% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.40% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.40% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 2.34% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.15% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.92% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.92% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.86% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.76% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 1.54% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.54% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 1.54% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.47% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.38% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 1.25% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 1.02% in Dec
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 0.83% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Dec
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorCommon40–47 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.77% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.70% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaWinter visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.67% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.67% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.67% in Dec
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Dec
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Dec
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.51% in Dec
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisWinter visitorCommon23–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.48% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Dec
RazorbillAlca tordaWinter visitorUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.48% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Dec
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorCommon55–65 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.45% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorCommon50–90 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.42% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.42% in Dec
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Dec
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.42% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.42% in Dec
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraWinter visitorUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.38% in Dec
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.38% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Dec
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusWinter visitorUncommon26–29 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.32% in Dec
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaWinter visitorUncommon26–29 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.29% in Dec
GreenshankTringa nebulariaPassage migrantCommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.29% in Dec
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.29% in Dec
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.22% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.22% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.22% in Dec
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.22% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentUncommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaResidentUncommon58–77 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.16% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerWinter visitorUncommon66–91 cmRegularly Dec–Jun · 0.16% in Dec
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentUncommon32–35 cmRegularly Aug–Dec · 0.13% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorUncommon46–51 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.10% 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