Birds to See in Shetland Islands in January
85 bird species on our list for Shetland Islands are recorded regularly in January
Of these, the most often recorded are European Herring Gull, Common Starling, Greylag Goose, European Shag and Hooded Crow. New this month: Brambling, Tundra Bean Goose, Black Redstart and Bar-tailed Godwit and 7 more.
On the move in January
GBIF · JanArriving
At their peak
From Shetland Islands’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 85 birds in January
85 birds
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.65% in Jan
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 4.62% in Jan
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 3.93% in Jan
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 3.80% in Jan
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.69% in Jan
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.66% in Jan
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.55% in Jan
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 3.55% in Jan
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.48% in Jan
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 3.30% in Jan
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.16% in Jan
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 3.11% in Jan
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRecorded all year · 2.99% in Jan
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.63% in Jan
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.29% in Jan
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 2.29% in Jan
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 2.15% in Jan
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 2.09% in Jan
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.88% in Jan
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.60% in Jan
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.53% in Jan
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 1.47% in Jan
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in Jan
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.37% in Jan
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Jan
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.29% in Jan
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 1.22% in Jan
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 1.18% in Jan
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Jan
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 1.06% in Jan
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 1.06% in Jan
Northern GannetMorus bassanusResidentCommon87–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in Jan
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 1.05% in Jan
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorCommon62–68 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 1.05% in Jan
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.03% in Jan
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Jan
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Jan
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Jan
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Jan
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorCommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.84% in Jan
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.84% in Jan
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsWinter visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.78% in Jan
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorCommon52–60 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.78% in Jan
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Jan
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Jan
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Jan
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Jan
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Jan
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Jan
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Jan
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Jan
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Jan
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Jan
MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Jan
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.32% in Jan
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorUncommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.31% in Jan
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Jan
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.20% in Jan
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochrurosPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.18% in Jan
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentUncommon58–68 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.17% in Jan
Water RailRallus aquaticusWinter visitorUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.17% in Jan
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.15% in Jan
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorCommon33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.15% in Jan
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.15% in Jan
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentUncommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Jan
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.15% in Jan
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisResidentUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.15% in Jan
CootFulica atraWinter visitorUncommon36–42 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.15% in Jan
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.14% in Jan
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.13% in Jan
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.13% in Jan
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaWinter visitorUncommon51–58 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.12% in Jan
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneSummer visitorUncommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Jan
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.12% in Jan
Little AukAlle allePassage migrantUncommon18–21 cmRegularly Oct–Jan · 0.10% in Jan
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.09% in Jan
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.09% in Jan
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.09% in Jan
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusSummer visitorUncommon50–90 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.09% in Jan
Great TitParus majorResidentUncommonRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Jan
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.07% in Jan
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.07% in Jan
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentUncommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Jan
Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostrisPassage migrantUncommon66–84 cmRegularly Jan–Apr · 0.06% in Jan
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.05% 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