Birds to See in Shetland Islands in October
157 species listed for October · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
157 bird species on our list for Shetland Islands are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are Common Starling, Blackbird, European Herring Gull, House Sparrow and Hooded Crow. New this month: Fieldfare, Glaucous Gull, Eurasian Woodcock and Bohemian Waxwing and 24 more.
New in October28
- Fieldfare
- Glaucous Gull
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Bohemian Waxwing
- Blue Tit
- Little Auk
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Coot
- Mistle Thrush
- Velvet Scoter
- Great Tit
- Northern Shoveler
- King Eider
- European Goldfinch
- Horned Lark
- Great Grey Shrike
- Stock Dove
- Greenfinch
- Firecrest
- Great White Egret
- Red-flanked Bluetail
- Cattle Egret
- Yellowhammer
- Surf Scoter
- American Golden-Plover
- Bullfinch
- Short-toed Lark
- Snowy Owl
Residents
(52)Recorded all year
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Recorded all year
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Recorded all year
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
Recorded all year
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
Recorded all year
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornixLC
Recorded all year
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
Recorded all year
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
Recorded all year
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
Recorded all year
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Recorded all year
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Recorded all year
European Shag
Gulosus aristotelisLC
Recorded all year
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Recorded all year
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
Recorded all year
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Twite
Linaria flavirostrisLC
Recorded all year
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Recorded all year
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Recorded all year
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylleLC
Recorded all year
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Recorded all year
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Recorded all year
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Recorded all year
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
Recorded all year
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Recorded all year
Common Loon
Gavia immerLC
Recorded all year
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Recorded all year
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Regularly May–Oct
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
Regularly Oct–May
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Regularly Oct
Jackdaw
Coloeus monedulaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Firecrest
Regulus ignicapillaLC
Regularly Oct–Nov
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
Regularly Oct
Summer visitors
(28)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Recorded all year
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
Regularly Mar–Jan
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
Recorded all year
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Great Skua
Stercorarius skuaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly May–Mar
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Jan–Nov
Garden Warbler
Sylvia borinLC
Regularly May–Oct
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red Grouse
Lagopus scoticaLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
Regularly May–Jan
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Regularly Apr–Dec
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Apr–Oct
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Feb–Oct
Winter visitors
(26)Present outside the breeding season
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Regularly Sep–Apr
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
Regularly Sep–May
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Recorded all year
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Aug–Mar
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Recorded all year
Fieldfare
Turdus pilarisLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Jack Snipe
Lymnocryptes minimusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Sep–Jun
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalisLC
Regularly Sep–May
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritimaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Sep–Mar
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Oct–Mar
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
Regularly Aug–Feb
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly Jul–May
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Jul–Apr
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Velvet Scoter
Melanitta fuscaVU
Regularly Oct–Feb
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Regularly Oct–May
Passage migrants
(49)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Lesser Whitethroat
Curruca currucaLC
Regularly May–Nov
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
Regularly May–Oct
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
Regularly Oct
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Regularly Sep–Mar
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleucaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
Regularly May–Oct
Common Rosefinch
Carpodacus erythrinusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecicaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulusLC
Regularly Oct–Nov
Stonechat
Saxicola rubicolaLC
Regularly Mar–Nov
King Eider
Somateria spectabilisLC
Regularly Oct
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestrisLC
Regularly May–Oct
Great Grey Shrike
Lanius excubitorLC
Regularly Oct
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurioLC
Regularly May–Oct
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly May–Oct
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
Regularly May–Oct
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Regularly Sep–Nov
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Arctic Loon
Gavia arcticaLC
Regularly Sep–Feb
Red-flanked Bluetail
Tarsiger cyanurusLC
Regularly Oct
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Regularly Oct
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
European Turtle-dove
Streptopelia turturVU
Regularly May–Oct
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly May–Oct
American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominicaLC
Regularly Oct
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochrurosLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Short-toed Lark
Calandrella brachydactylaLC
Regularly Oct
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
Regularly May–Oct
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Sep–Dec
Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillataLC
Regularly Oct
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacusVU
Regularly Oct
Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna griseaNT
Regularly Aug–Nov
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
Regularly May–Oct
Marsh Warbler
Acrocephalus palustrisLC
Regularly Jun–Oct
Little Auk
Alle alleLC
Regularly Oct–Jan
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC
Regularly May–Oct
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Aug–Oct
Grasshopper Warbler
Locustella naeviaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotosLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Scarce visitors
(2)Recorded in some years but not every year
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