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
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaResidentUncommon51–58 cmRecorded all year
GadwallMareca streperaResidentUncommon46–56 cmRecorded all year
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusResidentUncommon31–38 cmRecorded all year
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaResidentUncommon66–94 cmRecorded all year
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentUncommon44–51 cmRecorded all year
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusResidentUncommon41–52 cmRecorded all year
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Aug–May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusResidentUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaWinter visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jul
Red GrouseLagopus scoticaResidentUncommon37–42 cmRecorded all year
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentUncommon16–17 cmRecorded all year
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naeviaSummer visitorUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Aug–Apr
Lesser WhitethroatCurruca currucaPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Sooty ShearwaterArdenna griseaPassage migrantUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Jul–Nov
Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurusSummer visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Aug–May
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year
European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleucaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
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