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 93–115 of 168 species

Carrion Crow

Carrion Crow

Corvus coroneLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelisLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Greenfinch

Chloris chlorisLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Ruff

Calidris pugnaxLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly May–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Common Tern

Sterna hirundoLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Eurasian Siskin

Spinus spinusLC

ResidentCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollisLC

ResidentCommon

Regularly Apr–Jan

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

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Buzzard

Buzzard

Buteo buteoLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritusVU

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Oct–Nov

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

Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Sooty Shearwater

Ardenna griseaNT

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Jul–Oct

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

House Martin

Delichon urbicumLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimusLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Sep–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

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

Arctic Loon

Gavia arcticaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Sep–Feb

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

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Black Redstart

Phoenicurus ochrurosLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Iceland Gull

Larus glaucoidesLC

ScarceUncommon
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Water Rail

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

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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