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 139–161 of 168 species

Mistle Thrush

Mistle Thrush

Turdus viscivorusLC

ScarceUncommon

Regularly Oct

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

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striataLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Glaucous Gull

Larus hyperboreusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Little Stint

Calidris minutaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jun–Oct

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

Tree Pipit

Anthus trivialisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Garganey

Spatula querquedulaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May

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

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

ScarceUncommon

Regularly Aug

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

Black Swan

Cygnus atratusLC

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

Spotted something?

Upload a photo to identify it

Identify
Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Curruca communisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Grey Wagtail

Motacilla cinereaLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep

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

Red Grouse

Lagopus scoticaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Canada Goose

Branta canadensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

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

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Bluethroat

Luscinia svecicaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flavaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep

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

Wood Warbler

Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Reed-warbler

Common Reed-warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Leach's Storm-petrel

Leach's Storm-petrel

Hydrobates leucorhousVU

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jul

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Oct

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

Brent Goose

Branta berniclaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep

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

Common Quail

Coturnix coturnixLC

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

Osprey

Pandion haliaetusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
PreviousPage 7 of 8Next

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

Download citations (7)