Birds in Orkney Islands

168 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Orkney Islands has 168 bird species recorded regularly there: 30 residents, 60 summer visitors, 6 winter visitors, 61 passage migrants and 11 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 87,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Orkney Islands in September

139 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 139 birds in September

Arriving in September: Redwing, Snow Bunting, Northern Pintail, Whooper Swan, European Robin, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Pink-footed Goose and 34 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Orkney Islands each month: most in September (139), fewest in January (41). Choose a month to see its birds.

139
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Whooper Swan (165 cm)42 families

All 168 birds on the list

Showing 1–23 of 168 species

ResidentRecorded all yearSummer visitorArrives to breed; scarce or absent in winterWinter visitorPresent outside the breeding seasonPassage migrantSeen mainly in spring and autumn migrationScarceRecorded in some years but not every yearCommonAmong the most-recorded birds in its best monthUncommonRecorded regularly, but on a minority of outingsRareFew records, even in its best month
Eurasian Oystercatcher

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegusNT

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Mallard

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchosLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelopeLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Aug–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Starling

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgarisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Herring Gull

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Curlew

Curlew

Numenius arquataNT

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Gull

Common Gull

Larus canusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Hen Harrier

Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneusLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Aug–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalisVU

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Black-backed Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Fulmar

Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialisLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Feb–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rusticaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Redshank

Redshank

Tringa totanusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Arctic Tern

Arctic Tern

Sterna paradisaeaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose

Anser anserLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Anthus pratensisLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rock Dove

Rock Dove

Columba liviaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Jan–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Hooded Crow

Hooded Crow

Corvus cornixLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Skua

Great Skua

Stercorarius skuaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Goldeneye

Goldeneye

Bucephala clangulaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck

Aythya fuligulaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Motacilla albaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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