Uncommon Birds in Scotland
Our list for Scotland has 96 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 41 residents, 24 summer visitors, 26 winter visitors and 5 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Scotland in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 96, most common first
Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsisWinter visitorUncommon58–70 cmRegularly Aug–Jun
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraResidentUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year
SanderlingCalidris albaResidentUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusSummer visitorUncommon41–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
GreenshankTringa nebulariaWinter visitorUncommon30–35 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaWinter visitorUncommon20–22 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorUncommon40–46 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaSummer visitorUncommon40–44 cmRecorded all year
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly May–Oct
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRecorded all year
OspreyPandion haliaetusSummer visitorUncommon54–58 cmRegularly Mar–Sep
Stock DoveColumba oenasResidentUncommon32–34 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentUncommon12–15 cmRecorded all year
Little EgretEgretta garzettaWinter visitorUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year
DipperCinclus cinclusResidentUncommon17–20 cmRecorded all year
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisSummer visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentUncommon32–35 cmRecorded all year
Garden WarblerSylvia borinSummer visitorUncommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentUncommon46–51 cmRecorded all year
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Sep–Jul
RuffCalidris pugnaxSummer visitorUncommon20–32 cmRegularly May–Oct
Red KiteMilvus milvusResidentUncommon60–66 cmRecorded all year
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