Birds to See in Orkney Islands in October
132 species listed for October · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
132 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are Common Starling, Common Gull, Curlew, Great Black-backed Gull and Eider. New this month: Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye, Eurasian Woodcock and Horned Grebe and 6 more.
New in October10
Residents
(29)Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Regularly Sep–Oct
Summer visitors
(50)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Feb–Nov
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Apr–Jan
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Mar–Nov
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly May–Oct
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Oct
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Winter visitors
(6)Present outside the breeding season
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Regularly Jun–Apr
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Oct–May
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Passage migrants
(46)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Sep–Apr
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Aug–Dec
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Sep–Nov
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Oct–Nov
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna griseaNT
Regularly Jul–Oct
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Oct
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Aug–Nov
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly May–Oct
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Oct–Nov
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May–Oct
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Pomarine Jaeger
Stercorarius pomarinusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Sep–Feb
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May–Oct
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecicaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Aug–Oct
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
Regularly May–Oct
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Scarce visitors
(1)Recorded in some years but not every year
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