Rare Birds in Scotland
Our list for Scotland has 89 rare birds recorded regularly there: 15 residents, 13 summer visitors, 9 winter visitors, 41 passage migrants and 7 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Scotland in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 89, most common first
HobbyFalco subbuteoSummer visitorRare28–35 cmRegularly May–Sep
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisScarceRare15–18 cm
Cetti's WarblerCettia cettiScarceRare13–14 cm
Willow TitPoecile montanusWinter visitorRare11–12 cmRegularly Aug–May
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly May–Jun
DotterelEudromias morinellusPassage migrantRare20–22 cmRegularly Sep
Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellarisResidentRare69–81 cmRegularly Jan–Feb
Black SwanCygnus atratusResidentRare110–142 cmRegularly Mar–Sep
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Eurasian Stone-curlewBurhinus oedicnemusRecords withheldRare40–44 cm
Parrot CrossbillLoxia pytyopsittacusPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Apr–Jun
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaScarceRare63–73 cm
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisResidentRare52–68 cmRegularly Jan
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusScarceRare46–59 cm
WoodlarkLullula arboreaScarceRare15–17 cmRegularly Oct
Golden PheasantChrysolophus pictusPassage migrantRare90–105 cmRegularly Mar
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentRare66–84 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRegularly Jun
NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchosPassage migrantRare15–17 cmRegularly May
Bar-headed GooseAnser indicusScarceRare68–78 cm
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