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 70–92 of 168 species

Pink-footed Goose

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchusLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-throated Loon

Red-throated Loon

Gavia stellataLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Dec

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

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritimaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

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

Song Thrush

Turdus philomelosLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Sanderling

Calidris albaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Dec

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

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Stonechat

Saxicola rubicolaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Dec

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

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Blackcap

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapillaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Brambling

Fringilla montifringillaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Common Redpoll

Acanthis flammeaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Jackdaw

Coloeus monedulaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Jan–Oct

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

Coot

Fulica atraLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Dec

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

Goldcrest

Regulus regulusLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Willow Warbler

Phylloscopus trochilusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybitaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Sedge Warbler

Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Dunnock

Prunella modularisLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Feb–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaoctoLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinusLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Aug–Nov

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

Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

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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