Birds to See in Scottish Borders in February
86 bird species on our list for Scottish Borders are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and European Robin. New this month: Northern Gannet, Razorbill, Stonechat and Red Crossbill and 6 more.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebArriving
At 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 86 birds in February
86 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.09% in Feb
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.93% in Feb
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.62% in Feb
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.52% in Feb
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.25% in Feb
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.20% in Feb
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.83% in Feb
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.78% in Feb
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.78% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.73% in Feb
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.41% in Feb
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.36% in Feb
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Feb
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in Feb
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.84% in Feb
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.73% in Feb
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.68% in Feb
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.68% in Feb
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Feb
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Feb
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.57% in Feb
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in Feb
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in Feb
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in Feb
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusWinter visitorCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.42% in Feb
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in Feb
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in Feb
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in Feb
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in Feb
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Feb
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Feb
DipperCinclus cinclusWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.21% in Feb
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Feb
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.10% in Feb
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.05% in Feb
EiderSomateria mollissimaWinter visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 1.05% in Feb
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.00% in Feb
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Feb
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Feb
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Feb
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusWinter visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.89% in Feb
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Feb
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.73% in Feb
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.73% in Feb
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Feb
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.68% in Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.68% in Feb
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.63% in Feb
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.63% in Feb
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.63% in Feb
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.63% in Feb
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.63% in Feb
CootFulica atraSummer visitorCommon36–42 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.58% in Feb
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Feb
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Feb
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Feb
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Feb
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.52% in Feb
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.47% in Feb
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Feb
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentCommon15–17 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.47% in Feb
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.42% in Feb
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantCommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.42% in Feb
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.37% in Feb
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Feb
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Feb
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.31% in Feb
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.31% in Feb
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.26% in Feb
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.26% in Feb
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Feb
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.26% in Feb
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.21% in Feb
European Green WoodpeckerPicus viridisResidentUncommon30–36 cmRegularly Feb–May · 0.21% in Feb
Grey PartridgePerdix perdixSummer visitorUncommon28–32 cmRegularly Feb–Sep · 0.21% in Feb
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.21% in Feb
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.21% in Feb
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaSummer visitorUncommon37–42 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.21% in Feb
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.21% in Feb
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.16% in Feb
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Feb–Jul · records held back in Feb (protected)
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.16% in Feb
SmewMergellus albellusScarceUncommon38–44 cmRegularly Feb · 0.16% in Feb
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisPassage migrantUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Nov–Aug · records held back in Feb (protected)
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