Birds to See in Orkney Islands in February
44 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are Curlew, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Great Black-backed Gull, European Herring Gull and Common Starling. New this month: Fulmar, Eurasian Skylark, Rock Pipit and Northern Gannet and 6 more.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebFrom 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 44 birds in February
44 birds
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.00% in Feb
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.73% in Feb
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.56% in Feb
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.38% in Feb
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.20% in Feb
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.20% in Feb
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 2.20% in Feb
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 2.20% in Feb
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 2.11% in Feb
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 2.11% in Feb
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in Feb
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 2.03% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.03% in Feb
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.94% in Feb
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.94% in Feb
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.94% in Feb
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Feb
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.76% in Feb
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 1.67% in Feb
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.59% in Feb
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.50% in Feb
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.41% in Feb
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.41% in Feb
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Feb
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.23% in Feb
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Feb
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Feb
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Feb
BlackbirdTurdus merulaSummer visitorCommon24–25 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.06% in Feb
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.06% in Feb
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in Feb
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Feb
House SparrowPasser domesticusSummer visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.88% in Feb
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.79% in Feb
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.70% in Feb
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.62% in Feb
Arctic LoonGavia arcticaResidentCommon58–77 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.53% in Feb
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.53% in Feb
RookCorvus frugilegusSummer visitorCommon45–47 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.44% in Feb
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.35% in Feb
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.26% in Feb
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