Birds to See in Orkney Islands in November
81 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in November
Of these, the most often recorded are Long-tailed Duck, European Herring Gull, European Shag, Hooded Crow and Common Starling.
On the move in November
GBIF · NovAt 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 81 birds in November
81 birds
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–May · 2.58% in Nov
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Nov
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Nov
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Nov
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.15% in Nov
RedwingTurdus iliacusPassage migrantCommon20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 2.15% in Nov
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Nov
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Nov
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 2.00% in Nov
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusPassage migrantCommon41–52 cmRegularly Aug–Dec · 2.00% in Nov
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Nov
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Nov
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.86% in Nov
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.81% in Nov
BlackbirdTurdus merulaSummer visitorCommon24–25 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.72% in Nov
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.72% in Nov
FulmarFulmarus glacialisSummer visitorCommon45–50 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.72% in Nov
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.67% in Nov
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.67% in Nov
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 1.62% in Nov
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Nov
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Nov
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantCommon22–27 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.53% in Nov
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisPassage migrantCommon15–18 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.48% in Nov
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.43% in Nov
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaPassage migrantCommon33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Nov · 1.38% in Nov
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.38% in Nov
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.34% in Nov
Eurasian TealAnas creccaSummer visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.34% in Nov
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.29% in Nov
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 1.29% in Nov
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Nov
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Nov
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.19% in Nov
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.10% in Nov
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataSummer visitorCommon53–69 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 1.10% in Nov
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Nov
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaSummer visitorCommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.00% in Nov
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.00% in Nov
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Nov
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.95% in Nov
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.95% in Nov
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.91% in Nov
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.91% in Nov
MerlinFalco columbariusPassage migrantCommon24–33 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.91% in Nov
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantCommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.91% in Nov
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.86% in Nov
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Nov
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.86% in Nov
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.86% in Nov
RookCorvus frugilegusSummer visitorCommon45–47 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.81% in Nov
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.81% in Nov
House SparrowPasser domesticusSummer visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.76% in Nov
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaPassage migrantCommon10–12 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.72% in Nov
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.72% in Nov
GadwallMareca streperaPassage migrantCommon46–56 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.72% in Nov
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.72% in Nov
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.72% in Nov
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Nov
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantCommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.67% in Nov
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosPassage migrantCommon20–23 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.67% in Nov
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorCommon40–44 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.62% in Nov
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusResidentCommon31–38 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.62% in Nov
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusPassage migrantCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Nov · 0.57% in Nov
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantCommon60–75 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.57% in Nov
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.52% in Nov
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentCommon34–58 cmRegularly Aug–Nov · 0.52% in Nov
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.52% in Nov
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaPassage migrantCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.48% in Nov
DunlinCalidris alpinaSummer visitorCommon16–22 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.48% in Nov
MoorhenGallinula chloropusSummer visitorCommon30–38 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.48% in Nov
KestrelFalco tinnunculusSummer visitorUncommon32–39 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.43% in Nov
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorCommon50–90 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.38% in Nov
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.38% in Nov
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.33% in Nov
GreenfinchChloris chlorisSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.33% in Nov
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.29% in Nov
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.29% in Nov
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.19% in Nov
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.19% in Nov
GoldcrestRegulus regulusPassage migrantCommon9–10 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.14% in 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