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 185–207 of 207 species

Surf Scoter

Surf Scoter

Melanitta perspicillataLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
American Golden-Plover

American Golden-Plover

Pluvialis dominicaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

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

Little Egret

Egretta garzettaLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Golden Oriole

Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Jun

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

Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Oct

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

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotosLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Short-toed Lark

Short-toed Lark

Calandrella brachydactylaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

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

Garganey

Spatula querquedulaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May

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

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Hoopoe

Hoopoe

Upupa epopsLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatusLC

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

Hobby

Falco subbuteoLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun

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

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Sep

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

Sandwich Tern

Thalasseus sandvicensisLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

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

Dipper

Cinclus cinclusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Snowy Owl

Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacusVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Calidris subruficollisVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep

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

Mandarin Duck

Aix galericulataLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-tailed Sea-eagle

White-tailed Sea-eagle

Haliaeetus albicillaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep

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

Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchosLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May

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

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropusLC

ResidentRare

Regularly May

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

Corncrake

Crex crexLC

Records withheld
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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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