Birds to See in Orkney Islands in August
101 species listed for August · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
101 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in August. Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Great Black-backed Gull, Barn Swallow and Common Starling. New this month: Eurasian Wigeon, Hen Harrier, Chaffinch and Purple Sandpiper and 12 more.
New in August16
Residents
(25)Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(55)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Feb–Nov
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly May–Oct
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Apr–Jan
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Oct
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Little Tern
Sternula albifronsLC
Regularly May–Aug
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Winter visitors
(2)Present outside the breeding season
Passage migrants
(18)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Aug–Dec
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly May–Oct
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna griseaNT
Regularly Jul–Oct
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May–Oct
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly Jul–Sep
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Aug–Nov
European Storm-petrel
Hydrobates pelagicusLC
Regularly Jun–Sep
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Cuckoo
Cuculus canorusLC
Regularly May–Aug
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Aug–Oct
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC
Regularly May–Aug
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Scarce visitors
(1)Recorded in some years but not every year
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