Birds to See in Orkney Islands in March
69 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in March
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Starling, Curlew, European Herring Gull and Redshank. New this month: Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Redwing and Snow Bunting and 23 more.
On the move in March
GBIF · MarArriving
At their peak
Leaving soon
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 69 birds in March
69 birds
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.86% in Mar
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.68% in Mar
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.62% in Mar
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.50% in Mar
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 2.44% in Mar
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.32% in Mar
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.32% in Mar
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.26% in Mar
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 2.20% in Mar
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.14% in Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Mar
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Mar
House SparrowPasser domesticusSummer visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.96% in Mar
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Mar
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.90% in Mar
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 1.84% in Mar
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 1.84% in Mar
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 1.78% in Mar
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 1.73% in Mar
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.73% in Mar
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.67% in Mar
BlackbirdTurdus merulaSummer visitorCommon24–25 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.55% in Mar
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.55% in Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 1.55% in Mar
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.55% in Mar
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in Mar
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusSummer visitorCommon40–42 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 1.49% in Mar
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in Mar
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.37% in Mar
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.25% in Mar
RookCorvus frugilegusSummer visitorCommon45–47 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 1.25% in Mar
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaSummer visitorCommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.19% in Mar
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Mar
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Mar
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorCommon58–67 cmRegularly Mar–Jul · 1.13% in Mar
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.13% in Mar
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 1.07% in Mar
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Mar
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 1.07% in Mar
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisPassage migrantCommon15–18 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.07% in Mar
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 1.01% in Mar
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.95% in Mar
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Mar
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.89% in Mar
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Mar
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.89% in Mar
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.89% in Mar
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.83% in Mar
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.83% in Mar
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.77% in Mar
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantCommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.77% in Mar
RedwingTurdus iliacusPassage migrantCommon20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.77% in Mar
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.71% in Mar
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantCommon22–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.71% in Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantCommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.71% in Mar
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.65% in Mar
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.65% in Mar
MerlinFalco columbariusPassage migrantCommon24–33 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.65% in Mar
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.65% in Mar
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosPassage migrantCommon20–23 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.59% in Mar
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.54% in Mar
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusSummer visitorCommon34–43 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.54% in Mar
CootFulica atraSummer visitorCommon36–42 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.48% in Mar
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataSummer visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.48% in Mar
JackdawColoeus monedulaSummer visitorCommon34–39 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.36% in Mar
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.36% in Mar
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorCommon50–90 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.30% in Mar
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorCommon40–44 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.18% in Mar
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