Birds to See in Orkney Islands in January
41 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Wigeon, Curlew, Goldeneye, Grey Heron and Redshank. New this month: Rock Dove, Redwing, House Sparrow and Blackbird and 3 more.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanArriving
At 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 41 birds in January
41 birds
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 3.32% in Jan
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.53% in Jan
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 2.37% in Jan
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 2.37% in Jan
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 2.37% in Jan
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.21% in Jan
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 2.21% in Jan
RedwingTurdus iliacusPassage migrantCommon20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 2.21% in Jan
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Jan
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Jan
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Jan
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in Jan
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.90% in Jan
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 1.90% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.74% in Jan
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.74% in Jan
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 1.74% in Jan
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.58% in Jan
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.58% in Jan
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.58% in Jan
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 1.58% in Jan
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantCommon22–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.58% in Jan
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaSummer visitorCommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.58% in Jan
BlackbirdTurdus merulaSummer visitorCommon24–25 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.42% in Jan
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in Jan
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Jan
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.26% in Jan
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Jan
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Jan
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Jan
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.11% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.11% in Jan
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Jan
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Jan
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Jan
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.79% in Jan
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.79% in Jan
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusSummer visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.63% in Jan
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.63% in Jan
JackdawColoeus monedulaSummer visitorCommon34–39 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.47% in Jan
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