Birds to See in Scottish Borders in December
63 bird species on our list for Scottish Borders are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Blackbird, European Robin, Jackdaw and Blue Tit.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecAt their peak
From Scottish Borders’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 63 birds in December
63 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.49% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.68% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.68% in Dec
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.59% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.50% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.50% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.78% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.60% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.42% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.42% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Dec
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.15% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.15% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.06% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in Dec
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.71% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Dec
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusWinter visitorCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Dec
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Dec
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Dec
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Dec
DipperCinclus cinclusWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaWinter visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 1.26% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Dec
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.17% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.08% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Dec
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Dec
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Dec
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Dec
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Dec
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Dec
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.72% in Dec
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.72% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.63% in Dec
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.63% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.63% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.54% in Dec
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusWinter visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.54% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Dec
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.45% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.45% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Dec
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