Birds to See in Orkney Islands in December
49 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Mallard, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Gull, Hen Harrier and Long-tailed Duck. New this month: Coot.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
From Orkney Islands’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 49 birds in December
49 birds
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 3.73% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 3.52% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.31% in Dec
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusPassage migrantCommon41–52 cmRegularly Aug–Dec · 3.31% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 2.90% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 2.69% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.48% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 2.48% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.48% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 2.07% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 1.86% in Dec
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.86% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 1.86% in Dec
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.86% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.66% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 1.66% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Dec
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.45% in Dec
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.24% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaSummer visitorCommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.24% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 1.24% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantCommon22–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.04% in Dec
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.04% in Dec
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 1.04% in Dec
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.04% in Dec
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorCommon50–90 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.83% in Dec
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.83% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.83% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in Dec
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantCommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.83% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.83% in Dec
CootFulica atraSummer visitorCommon36–42 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.62% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantCommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.62% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.62% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataSummer visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.62% 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