Birds to See in Scottish Borders in October
106 bird species on our list for Scottish Borders are recorded regularly in October
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, European Robin, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon and Eurasian Wren. New this month: Redwing, Fieldfare, Whooper Swan and Brambling and 10 more.
On the move in October
GBIF · OctArriving
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 106 birds in October
106 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.07% in Oct
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.53% in Oct
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.97% in Oct
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.87% in Oct
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.82% in Oct
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.82% in Oct
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.77% in Oct
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 2.72% in Oct
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 2.40% in Oct
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Oct
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 2.08% in Oct
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.06% in Oct
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.91% in Oct
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.89% in Oct
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.77% in Oct
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 1.67% in Oct
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.62% in Oct
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year · 1.59% in Oct
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.59% in Oct
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.52% in Oct
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 1.50% in Oct
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.45% in Oct
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.37% in Oct
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.35% in Oct
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Oct
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 1.28% in Oct
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusWinter visitorCommon13–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.23% in Oct
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.23% in Oct
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentCommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Oct
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Oct
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.18% in Oct
KestrelFalco tinnunculusResidentCommon32–39 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Oct
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 1.03% in Oct
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.03% in Oct
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 1.01% in Oct
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 1.01% in Oct
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.96% in Oct
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Oct
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Oct
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Oct
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.86% in Oct
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Oct
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Oct
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaSummer visitorCommon16–17 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.86% in Oct
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.83% in Oct
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaSummer visitorCommon12–13 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.83% in Oct
CootFulica atraSummer visitorCommon36–42 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.81% in Oct
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Oct
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Oct
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.81% in Oct
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.76% in Oct
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Oct
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Oct
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.74% in Oct
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Oct
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.66% in Oct
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantCommon42–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.66% in Oct
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Oct
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.61% in Oct
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Oct
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.59% in Oct
Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatusPassage migrantCommon10–11 cmRegularly Sep–Oct · 0.59% in Oct
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.56% in Oct
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Oct
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Oct
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Oct
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusPassage migrantCommon140–165 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.49% in Oct
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaResidentCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Oct
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentCommon15–17 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.47% in Oct
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusWinter visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.44% in Oct
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisPassage migrantUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Sep–Oct · 0.42% in Oct
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.42% in Oct
WheatearOenanthe oenantheSummer visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.42% in Oct
EiderSomateria mollissimaWinter visitorCommon50–71 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.39% in Oct
Common GullLarus canusWinter visitorCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Oct
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.37% in Oct
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.34% in Oct
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.32% in Oct
Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaResidentUncommon32–34 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.29% in Oct
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.27% in Oct
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaPassage migrantUncommon26–29 cmRegularly Aug–Oct · 0.27% in Oct
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.25% in Oct
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.22% in Oct
DipperCinclus cinclusWinter visitorCommon17–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Oct
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantUncommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.22% in Oct
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.22% in Oct
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentUncommon25–27 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.20% in Oct
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Jun–Oct · 0.20% in Oct
Ring OuzelTurdus torquatusPassage migrantUncommon23–24 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.20% in Oct
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochrurosPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct · 0.15% in Oct
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusPassage migrantUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct · 0.15% in Oct
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentUncommon16–17 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.12% in Oct
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusResidentUncommon41–52 cmRegularly Oct · 0.12% in Oct
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRegularly Jul–Feb · 0.12% in Oct
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisPassage migrantUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Nov · 0.12% in Oct
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantCommon41–46 cmRegularly Jul–Oct · 0.10% in Oct
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.10% in Oct
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.10% in Oct
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusPassage migrantUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Oct · 0.10% in Oct
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentUncommon76–110 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.07% in Oct
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentCommon43–54 cmRegularly Aug–Nov · 0.07% in Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaPassage migrantUncommon55–65 cmRegularly Sep–Jan · 0.07% in Oct
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.07% in Oct
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaPassage migrantUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.07% in Oct
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaSummer visitorUncommon37–42 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 0.07% in Oct
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentUncommon52–58 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.07% in Oct
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