Birds to See in Scottish Borders in October
106 species listed for October · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
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.
New in October14
Leaving after last month27
- House Martin
- Fulmar
- Sand Martin
- Whitethroat
- Manx Shearwater
- Sandwich Tern
- Sedge Warbler
- Tawny Owl
- Gadwall
- Spotted Flycatcher
- European Pied Flycatcher
- Whimbrel
- Great Skua
- Sooty Shearwater
- Common Redstart
- Velvet Scoter
- Arctic Tern
- Yellow Wagtail
- Grey Partridge
- Common Tern
- Whinchat
- Tree Pipit
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Brent Goose
- Merlin
- Ringed Plover
- Bar-tailed Godwit
Residents
(55)Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Recorded all year
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Recorded all year
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Recorded all year
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Magpie
Pica picaLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
Regularly Sep–Jun
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Sep–May
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Regularly Jul–Feb
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Regularly Mar–Oct
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Jul–Oct
Summer visitors
(21)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Jan–Nov
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Mar–Nov
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Winter visitors
(10)Present outside the breeding season
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Oct–Mar
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Regularly Aug–Jun
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
Recorded all year
Passage migrants
(20)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Regularly Aug–Oct
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Regularly Aug–Feb
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Regularly Oct
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Oct
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Oct
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Oct–Nov
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Jul–Oct
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Oct
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Aug–Nov
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Regularly Sep–Jan
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly 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