Rare Birds in Shetland Islands
Our list for Shetland Islands has 28 rare birds recorded regularly there: 5 residents, 1 summer visitor, 16 passage migrants and 6 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Shetland Islands in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 28, most common first
Red-flanked BluetailTarsiger cyanurusPassage migrantRare13–14 cmRegularly Oct
GadwallMareca streperaResidentRare46–56 cmRegularly May
MagpiePica picaScarceRare44–46 cmRegularly Jul–Oct
European Turtle-doveStreptopelia turturPassage migrantRare26–28 cmRegularly May–Oct
Cattle EgretArdea ibisScarceRare46–56 cmRegularly Oct
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentRare16–17 cmRegularly Oct–May
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantRare48–60 cmRegularly Oct
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Oct
Little EgretEgretta garzettaScarceRare55–65 cm
Golden OrioleOriolus oriolusPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly May–Jun
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentRare15–17 cmRegularly Oct
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantRare19–23 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
Short-toed LarkCalandrella brachydactylaPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Oct
GarganeySpatula querquedulaPassage migrantRare37–41 cmRegularly May
HoopoeUpupa epopsPassage migrantRare25–32 cmRegularly May
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusPassage migrantRare46–51 cmRegularly May
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusScarceRare46–51 cm
HobbyFalco subbuteoPassage migrantRare28–35 cmRegularly Jun
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaPassage migrantRare18–23 cmRegularly Jun–Sep
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorRare36–41 cmRegularly May–Jul
DipperCinclus cinclusScarceRare17–20 cm
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalusScarceRare37–40 cm
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusPassage migrantRare52–71 cmRegularly Oct
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Red-flanked Bluetail 13–14 cm
- Bullfinch 15–17 cm
- Short-toed Lark 14–17 cm
- Nightingale 15–17 cm
- Yellowhammer 16–17 cm
- Dipper 17–20 cm
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper 18–20 cm
- Curlew Sandpiper 18–23 cm
- Pectoral Sandpiper 19–23 cm
- Golden Oriole 22–24 cm
- American Golden-Plover 24–28 cm
- European Turtle-dove 26–28 cm
- Hoopoe 25–32 cm
- Spotted Redshank 29–31 cm
- Hobby 28–35 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Mediterranean Gull 37–40 cm
- Garganey 37–41 cm
- Magpie 44–46 cm
- Mandarin Duck 41–49 cm
- Pomarine Jaeger 46–51 cm
- Great Crested Grebe 46–51 cm
- Gadwall 46–56 cm
- Cattle Egret 46–56 cm
- Surf Scoter 48–60 cm
- Little Egret 55–65 cm
- Snowy Owl 52–71 cm
- White-tailed Sea-eagle 66–94 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
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