Rare Birds in Wales
Our list for Wales has 53 rare birds recorded regularly there: 11 residents, 1 summer visitor, 4 winter visitors, 25 passage migrants and 11 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Wales in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 53, most common first
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusPassage migrantRare48–58 cmRegularly Aug–Sep
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesPassage migrantRare52–60 cmRegularly Feb–Mar
Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameriResidentRare38–42 cmRegularly Aug–Nov
SmewMergellus albellusPassage migrantRare38–44 cmRegularly Jan
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisScarceRare28–34 cmRegularly Apr–Jul
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaPassage migrantRare20–23 cmRegularly Apr
Bearded TitPanurus biarmicusResidentRare13–15 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Common RosefinchCarpodacus erythrinusPassage migrantRare13–15 cmRegularly Jun–Oct
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisScarceRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep
Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurioPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Sep
Great ShearwaterArdenna gravisPassage migrantRare43–51 cmRegularly Aug–Oct
TwiteLinaria flavirostrisResidentRare13–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesScarceRare23–27 cmRegularly Sep
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusPassage migrantRare18–19 cmRegularly Sep
Common QuailCoturnix coturnixPassage migrantRare16–18 cmRegularly Jun
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Oct
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaPassage migrantRare28–38 cmRegularly Apr
Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferrugineaScarceRare58–70 cm
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentRare63–73 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensResidentRare69–84 cmRegularly Jan
European Turtle-doveStreptopelia turturPassage migrantRare26–28 cmRegularly May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaScarceRare78–90 cmRegularly May
WoodlarkLullula arboreaResidentRare15–17 cmRegularly 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