Birds to See in Scottish Borders in January
84 bird species on our list for Scottish Borders are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Blackbird. New this month: Linnet, Yellowhammer, Eurasian Skylark and Lesser Black-backed Gull and 19 more.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanArriving
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 84 birds in January
84 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.63% in Jan
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.83% in Jan
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.78% in Jan
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 3.63% in Jan
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.33% in Jan
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.28% in Jan
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.08% in Jan
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.89% in Jan
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.69% in Jan
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.64% in Jan
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.24% in Jan
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 2.19% in Jan
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.19% in Jan
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.74% in Jan
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.69% in Jan
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.69% in Jan
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.64% in Jan
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.64% in Jan
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.59% in Jan
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.54% in Jan
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.54% in Jan
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Jan
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Jan
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 1.39% in Jan
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusWinter visitorCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.39% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.29% in Jan
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Jan
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Jan
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Jan
DipperCinclus cinclusWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 1.04% in Jan
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.04% in Jan
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 1.04% in Jan
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.04% in Jan
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 1.00% in Jan
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Jan
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.95% in Jan
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.95% in Jan
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Jan
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantCommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.95% in Jan
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Jan
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Jan
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.85% in Jan
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Jan
CootFulica atraSummer visitorCommon36–42 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.80% in Jan
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Jan
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Jan
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.80% in Jan
EiderSomateria mollissimaWinter visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.75% in Jan
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Jan
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Jan
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.75% in Jan
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.70% in Jan
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Jan
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.55% in Jan
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.50% in Jan
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Jan
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Feb · 0.45% in Jan
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaSummer visitorUncommon37–42 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.45% in Jan
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.40% in Jan
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.40% in Jan
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.40% in Jan
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusWinter visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.40% in Jan
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentUncommon33–39 cmRegularly Jan–Jun · 0.35% in Jan
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Jan
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Jan
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.30% in Jan
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.30% in Jan
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Jan
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.25% in Jan
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Jan
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.25% in Jan
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Jan
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Jan
Great White EgretArdea albaPassage migrantUncommon80–104 cmRegularly Jan · 0.20% in Jan
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.20% in Jan
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaResidentUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.20% in Jan
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.20% in Jan
Tawny OwlStrix alucoResidentCommon37–43 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.20% in Jan
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.15% in Jan
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.15% in Jan
Little EgretEgretta garzettaPassage migrantUncommon55–65 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.15% in Jan
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.15% in Jan
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