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 116–138 of 207 species

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Dec

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

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct

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

Common Swift

Apus apusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosaNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Wood Warbler

Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Little Auk

Alle alleLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct–Jan

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

Ring Ouzel

Turdus torquatusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

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Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponicaNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jan–Nov

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

Bluethroat

Luscinia svecicaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Northern Pintail

Anas acutaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jun

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

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsisLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

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

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritusVU

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos majorLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Aug–Mar

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

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug–Oct

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

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

Rook

Corvus frugilegusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Merganser

Mergus merganserLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Jan–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifronsLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Jul

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

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug–Sep

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

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Feb

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

Coot

Fulica atraLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

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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