Birds to See in Orkney Islands in September
139 species listed for September · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
139 bird species on our list for Orkney Islands are recorded regularly in September. Of these, the most often recorded are Common Starling, European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Redshank and Curlew. New this month: Redwing, Snow Bunting, Northern Pintail and Whooper Swan and 38 more.
New in September42
- Redwing
- Snow Bunting
- Northern Pintail
- Whooper Swan
- European Robin
- Fieldfare
- Gadwall
- Pink-footed Goose
- Song Thrush
- Blackcap
- Brambling
- Common Redpoll
- Chiffchaff
- Dunnock
- Eurasian Siskin
- Jack Snipe
- Arctic Loon
- Water Rail
- Barnacle Goose
- Greater Scaup
- Yellow-browed Warbler
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Ring Ouzel
- Lapland Longspur
- European Pied Flycatcher
- Red-backed Shrike
- Common Redstart
- Common Merganser
- Pochard
- Greenshank
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Little Stint
- Tree Pipit
- Grey Wagtail
- Common Rosefinch
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Yellow Wagtail
- Common Reed-warbler
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Brent Goose
- Little Gull
- American Golden-Plover
Leaving after last month4
Residents
(29)Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Regularly Sep–Oct
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Summer visitors
(56)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Feb–Nov
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Apr–Jan
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Mar–Nov
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly May–Oct
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaeaLC
Regularly May–Sep
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Mar–Sep
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Oct
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
Regularly May–Sep
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Winter visitors
(4)Present outside the breeding season
Passage migrants
(50)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Aug–Dec
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna griseaNT
Regularly Jul–Oct
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly May–Oct
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Manx Shearwater
Puffinus puffinusLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Aug–Nov
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Sep–Apr
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May–Oct
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurioLC
Regularly Jun–Sep
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Common Rosefinch
Carpodacus erythrinusLC
Regularly Sep
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May–Oct
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Sep–Nov
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
Regularly Sep
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
Regularly May–Oct
Pomarine Jaeger
Stercorarius pomarinusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Sep
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
Regularly Jul–Sep
European Storm-petrel
Hydrobates pelagicusLC
Regularly Jun–Sep
Little Gull
Hydrocoloeus minutusLC
Regularly May–Sep
American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominicaLC
Regularly Sep
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Sep–Feb
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Aug–Oct
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
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