Birds to See in Shetland Islands in April
115 species listed for April · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
115 bird species on our list for Shetland Islands are recorded regularly in April. Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull, Common Starling, Fulmar and Blackbird. New this month: Great Skua, Wheatear, Blackcap and Atlantic Puffin and 23 more.
New in April27
- Great Skua
- Wheatear
- Blackcap
- Atlantic Puffin
- Arctic Jaeger
- Willow Warbler
- Barn Swallow
- Whimbrel
- European Pied Flycatcher
- House Martin
- Kestrel
- Tree Pipit
- Sand Martin
- Hawfinch
- Common Sandpiper
- Linnet
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Ring Ouzel
- Lapland Longspur
- Red Grouse
- Northern Shoveler
- Grasshopper Warbler
- Stock Dove
- Western Marsh-harrier
- Yellowhammer
- Mandarin Duck
Residents
(49)Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Recorded all year
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Nov–Jul
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Oct–May
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Regularly Apr
Summer visitors
(31)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arcticaVU
Regularly Apr–Aug
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Apr–Aug
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Apr–Oct
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Jan–Nov
Winter visitors
(20)Present outside the breeding season
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Sep–Apr
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Sep–Jun
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Recorded all year
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoidesLC
Regularly Nov–May
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–May
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly Jul–May
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Passage migrants
(15)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
Regularly Jan–Apr
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
Regularly Apr–Sep
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
Regularly Apr–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