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 93–115 of 207 species

Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Scoter

Melanitta nigraLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Mar

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

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pink-footed Goose

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jun

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

Carrion Crow

Corvus coroneLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Tundra Bean Goose

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostrisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jan–Apr

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

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Marsh Warbler

Acrocephalus palustrisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jun–Oct

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

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Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurioLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Tree Pipit

Anthus trivialisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

Ruff

Calidris pugnaxLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Storm-petrel

European Storm-petrel

Hydrobates pelagicusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Red Crossbill

Loxia curvirostraLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Jun–Sep

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

Stonechat

Saxicola rubicolaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Reed-warbler

Common Reed-warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Sooty Shearwater

Ardenna griseaNT

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug–Nov

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

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Black Redstart

Phoenicurus ochrurosLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jun

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

Linnet

Linaria cannabinaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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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