Birds to See in West Lothian in December
61 bird species on our list for West Lothian are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, European Robin and Magpie. New this month: Song Thrush, Greenfinch, Curlew and Mistle Thrush and 9 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From West Lothian’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 61 birds in December
61 birds
Carrion CrowCorvus coroneResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 4.08% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 3.83% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 3.78% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.73% in Dec
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 3.73% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.52% in Dec
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 3.52% in Dec
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 3.42% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 3.07% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 2.87% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 2.67% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.37% in Dec
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaResidentCommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 2.27% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisResidentCommon14–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.22% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Dec
Coal TitPeriparus aterResidentCommon10–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 1.86% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 1.76% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusResidentCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.71% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.66% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 1.61% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.61% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.56% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaSummer visitorCommon90–98 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 1.56% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.56% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 1.51% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.51% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.46% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusWinter visitorCommon20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.46% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.36% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 1.31% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 1.21% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantCommon22–27 cmRegularly Nov–Jan · 1.11% in Dec
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusPassage migrantCommon60–75 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.96% in Dec
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos majorResidentCommon23–26 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.91% in Dec
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentCommon13–14 cmRegularly Dec–Jun · 0.86% in Dec
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusWinter visitorCommon13–16 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.86% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.81% in Dec
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusSummer visitorCommon11–13 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.76% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.70% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataResidentCommon50–60 cmRegularly Dec–Jun · 0.65% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaPassage migrantCommon34–38 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.65% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaSummer visitorCommon31–34 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.65% in Dec
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusSummer visitorCommon28–38 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.65% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.60% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusSummer visitorCommon46–51 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.60% in Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentCommon15–17 cmRegularly Nov–Dec · 0.60% in Dec
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusResidentCommon27–28 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.50% in Dec
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentCommon32–35 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.45% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosResidentCommon20–23 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.45% in Dec
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaPassage migrantUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Dec · 0.40% in Dec
Common KingfisherAlcedo atthisResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.35% in Dec
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaSummer visitorCommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Dec · 0.30% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaSummer visitorCommon17–18 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.30% in Dec
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.25% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.20% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.20% in Dec
YellowhammerEmberiza citrinellaResidentCommon16–17 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.15% in Dec
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