Birds in Shetland Islands

207 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Shetland Islands has 207 bird species recorded regularly there: 59 residents, 42 summer visitors, 27 winter visitors, 69 passage migrants and 9 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 298,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Shetland Islands in September

146 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 146 birds in September

Arriving in September: Redwing, European Robin, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Yellow-browed Warbler, Goldeneye, Brambling, Chaffinch and 38 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Shetland Islands each month: most in October (157), fewest in December (81). Choose a month to see its birds.

146157
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Whooper Swan (165 cm)49 families

All 207 birds on the list

Showing 47–69 of 207 species

Woodpigeon

Woodpigeon

Columba palumbusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Feb–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Dunlin

Dunlin

Calidris alpinaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eider

Eider

Somateria mollissimaNT

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Loon

Common Loon

Gavia immerLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Twite

Twite

Linaria flavirostrisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Feb–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brambling

Brambling

Fringilla montifringillaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebsLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Red-breasted Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serratorLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelopeLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Aug–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaoctoLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Mute Swan

Mute Swan

Cygnus olorLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Song Thrush

Song Thrush

Turdus philomelosLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalisVU

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Teal

Eurasian Teal

Anas creccaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Glaucous Gull

Glaucous Gull

Larus hyperboreusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Jul–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Aug–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carboLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricariaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Ardea cinereaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

Acanthis flammeaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Feb–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sanderling

Sanderling

Calidris albaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly May–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Tern

Common Tern

Sterna hirundoLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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