Birds in Orkney Islands

168 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Orkney Islands has 168 bird species recorded regularly there: 30 residents, 60 summer visitors, 6 winter visitors, 61 passage migrants and 11 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 87,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Orkney Islands in September

139 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 139 birds in September

Arriving in September: Redwing, Snow Bunting, Northern Pintail, Whooper Swan, European Robin, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Pink-footed Goose and 34 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Orkney Islands each month: most in September (139), fewest in January (41). Choose a month to see its birds.

139
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Whooper Swan (165 cm)42 families

All 168 birds on the list

Showing 47–69 of 168 species

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellusNT

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebsLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpresLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Robin

European Robin

Erithacus rubeculaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Snipe

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Woodpigeon

Woodpigeon

Columba palumbusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Dunlin

Dunlin

Calidris alpinaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Turdus pilarisLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricariaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wheatear

Wheatear

Oenanthe oenantheLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Raven

Common Raven

Corvus coraxLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Linnet

Linnet

Linaria cannabinaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Rissa tridactylaVU

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Feb–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Wren

Eurasian Wren

Troglodytes troglodytesLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Jan–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Merlin

Merlin

Falco columbariusLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Razorbill

Razorbill

Alca tordaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Twite

Twite

Linaria flavirostrisLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Feb–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Woodcock

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Oct–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Arctic Jaeger

Arctic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arcticaVU

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Gadwall

Gadwall

Mareca streperaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifronsLC

ScarceCommon
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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