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 139–161 of 207 species

Greater Scaup

Greater Scaup

Aythya marilaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Mar

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

Mistle Thrush

Turdus viscivorusLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Common Quail

Coturnix coturnixLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

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

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Red Grouse

Lagopus scoticaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Feb–Nov

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

Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flavaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Cuckoo

Cuculus canorusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Jul

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

Velvet Scoter

Melanitta fuscaVU

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Feb

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

Spotted something?

Upload a photo to identify it

Identify
Great Tit

Great Tit

Parus majorLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollisLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Nov–Mar

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

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeataLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Feb–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

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

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Jan

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

Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naeviaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Brent Goose

Branta berniclaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Oct

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

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Nov

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

Arctic Loon

Gavia arcticaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Feb

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

Pochard

Aythya ferinaVU

ResidentUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

King Eider

Somateria spectabilisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct

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

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelisLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

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

Little Stint

Calidris minutaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutusLC

ScarceUncommon
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Eremophila alpestrisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
PreviousPage 7 of 9Next

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

Download citations (7)