Birds to See in Shetland Islands in March
98 bird species on our list for Shetland Islands are recorded regularly in March
Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Starling, European Herring Gull, Greylag Goose and Curlew. New this month: Pied Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Eurasian Siskin and Dunnock and 11 more.
On the move in March
GBIF · MarArriving
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 98 birds in March
98 birds
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 4.26% in Mar
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.97% in Mar
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.95% in Mar
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 3.50% in Mar
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.39% in Mar
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.35% in Mar
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.28% in Mar
RedshankTringa totanusResidentCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 3.19% in Mar
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 3.15% in Mar
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRecorded all year · 3.02% in Mar
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 2.69% in Mar
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 2.66% in Mar
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.65% in Mar
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.60% in Mar
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 2.59% in Mar
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 2.41% in Mar
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.26% in Mar
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Mar
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.99% in Mar
Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensisSummer visitorCommon16–18 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.94% in Mar
Common RavenCorvus coraxResidentCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.88% in Mar
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 1.83% in Mar
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 1.83% in Mar
Rock PipitAnthus petrosusResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 1.49% in Mar
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.47% in Mar
Northern GannetMorus bassanusResidentCommon87–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Mar
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in Mar
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 1.16% in Mar
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Mar
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 1.06% in Mar
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.02% in Mar
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoResidentCommon25–27 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Mar
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.97% in Mar
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.94% in Mar
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.92% in Mar
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusSummer visitorCommon40–42 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.83% in Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.82% in Mar
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaResidentCommon37–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Mar
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsWinter visitorCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.81% in Mar
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorCommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.79% in Mar
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.78% in Mar
RazorbillAlca tordaSummer visitorCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Mar
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.70% in Mar
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Mar
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaResidentCommon26–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.65% in Mar
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Mar
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.56% in Mar
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusWinter visitorCommon140–165 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.55% in Mar
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorCommon52–60 cmRegularly Nov–May · 0.52% in Mar
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.52% in Mar
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.48% in Mar
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitaSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.46% in Mar
GoldcrestRegulus regulusPassage migrantCommon9–10 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.40% in Mar
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusWinter visitorUncommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.38% in Mar
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Mar
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentUncommon58–67 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.36% in Mar
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Mar
Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostrisPassage migrantUncommon66–84 cmRegularly Jan–Apr · 0.35% in Mar
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorCommon62–68 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.31% in Mar
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Mar
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaPassage migrantUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.26% in Mar
MoorhenGallinula chloropusWinter visitorUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Mar
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.24% in Mar
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorCommon33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.23% in Mar
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneSummer visitorUncommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in Mar
DunlinCalidris alpinaResidentCommon16–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Mar
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.17% in Mar
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentUncommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Mar
Water RailRallus aquaticusWinter visitorUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.15% in Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaPassage migrantUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.14% in Mar
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantCommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.13% in Mar
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisResidentUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.12% in Mar
DunnockPrunella modularisPassage migrantUncommon14–15 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.12% in Mar
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.12% in Mar
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.11% in Mar
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Mar
CootFulica atraWinter visitorUncommon36–42 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.10% in Mar
Great TitParus majorResidentUncommonRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.10% in Mar
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.10% in Mar
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.10% in Mar
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Jan–Nov · 0.09% in Mar
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentUncommon23–29 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.09% in Mar
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentUncommon28–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaPassage migrantUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.08% in Mar
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.08% in Mar
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorCommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Mar · 0.07% in Mar
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.07% in Mar
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentUncommon27–28 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Mar
Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochrurosPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–Jun · 0.05% in Mar
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusResidentUncommon41–52 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · records held back in Mar (protected)
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentUncommon34–39 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.04% in Mar
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclusSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.04% in Mar
Common MerganserMergus merganserResidentUncommon58–68 cmRegularly Jan–Oct · 0.03% in Mar
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusSummer visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.03% in Mar
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.02% in Mar
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentUncommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.02% in Mar
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