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 162–184 of 207 species

Subalpine Warbler

Subalpine Warbler

Curruca cantillansLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitorLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct

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

Woodchat Shrike

Lanius senatorNT

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep

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

Jackdaw

Coloeus monedulaLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

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

Stock Dove

Columba oenasLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Great Shearwater

Ardenna gravisLC

ScarceUncommon

Regularly Aug

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

Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Dec

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

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug

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

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Leach's Storm-petrel

Leach's Storm-petrel

Hydrobates leucorhousVU

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jul–Aug

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

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellusLC

ScarceUncommon
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Western Marsh-harrier

Western Marsh-harrier

Circus aeruginosusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Greenfinch

Chloris chlorisLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Oct

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

Osprey

Pandion haliaetusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

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

Canada Goose

Branta canadensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly May–Jun

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

Firecrest

Regulus ignicapillaLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Oct–Nov

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

Wryneck

Jynx torquillaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Ardea albaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-flanked Bluetail

Red-flanked Bluetail

Tarsiger cyanurusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

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

Gadwall

Mareca streperaLC

ResidentRare

Regularly May

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

Magpie

Pica picaLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Jul–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Turtle-dove

European Turtle-dove

Streptopelia turturVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Oct

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

Cattle Egret

Ardea ibisLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Oct

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

Yellowhammer

Emberiza citrinellaLC

ResidentRare

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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