Birds to See in Orkney Islands in March
69 species listed for March · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
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.
New in March27
- Meadow Pipit
- Pied Wagtail
- Redwing
- Snow Bunting
- Northern Pintail
- Common Shelduck
- Chaffinch
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Woodpigeon
- Dunlin
- Fieldfare
- Golden Plover
- Linnet
- Merlin
- Razorbill
- Common Pheasant
- Red-throated Loon
- Purple Sandpiper
- Song Thrush
- Jackdaw
- Coot
- Eurasian Collared Dove
- Reed Bunting
- European Goldfinch
- Greenfinch
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Short-eared Owl
Leaving after last month2
Residents
(24)Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(31)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Mar–Jul
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Mar–Nov
Winter visitors
(6)Present outside the breeding season
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Oct–May
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Passage migrants
(8)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Sep–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
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