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 70–92 of 207 species

Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritimaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

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

Iceland Gull

Larus glaucoidesLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Nov–May

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

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Eurasian Siskin

Spinus spinusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Garden Warbler

Sylvia borinLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Jul–May

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Curruca currucaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly May–Nov

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

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

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Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Curruca communisLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Tufted Duck

Aythya fuligulaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Whinchat

Saxicola rubetraLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striataLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Merlin

Falco columbariusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Pied Flycatcher

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleucaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Sedge Warbler

Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

House Martin

Delichon urbicumLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Snow Bunting

Plectrophenax nivalisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

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

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadornaLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Nov–Jul

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

Dunnock

Prunella modularisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Grey Wagtail

Motacilla cinereaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Dec

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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