Birds in United Kingdom
Explore 275 species found in this region.
The United Kingdom is home to an impressive diversity of 258 bird species, thriving across a rich mosaic of habitats from rugged Scottish highlands and coastal estuaries to ancient woodlands and rolling farmland. Notable residents include the charismatic Great Tit and Magpie in gardens and hedgerows, the elegant Eurasian Woodcock in dense woodland, and the striking Mandarin Duck along sheltered waterways. Coastal and upland areas host remarkable species such as the Dotterel on mountain plateaux and the Common Shelduck along tidal mudflats, making the UK a rewarding destination for birdwatchers year-round.
Visiting in April? Look out for Arctic Tern and Bar-headed Goose arriving this month, and Bluethroat and Cackling Goose depart for the season.
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Get Your Free DigestShowing 208–230 of 275 species
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
Mainly a common winter visitor from Scandinavia and Iceland, arriving in large numbers from October. A tiny breeding population exists in northern Scotland.
Sep–May
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
A common resident of reedbeds, marshes, and damp hedgerows. Males are recognised by their black head and white collar, singing from reed stems.
Year-round
Ring Ouzel
Turdus torquatusLC
A summer visitor to upland moorlands and crags, arriving in April. Often called the 'mountain blackbird', it is declining as a UK breeder.
Apr–Nov
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensisLC
A rare Nearctic winter visitor, most regularly found in Ireland and south-west England among flocks of Common and Black-headed Gulls.
Dec–Apr
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
A common resident of sandy and shingle beaches, also found on inland gravel pits. Numbers increase in autumn and winter with arrivals from the Continent.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Ubiquitous in towns and cities as the feral pigeon; truly wild birds survive on remote Scottish and Irish sea cliffs.
Year-round
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
A common resident of rocky coastlines year-round, foraging along wave-splashed shores and sea cliffs throughout Britain and Ireland.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A gregarious resident of farmland and parkland, nesting in large, noisy rookeries. Bare-faced adults probe fields for invertebrates year-round.
Year-round
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Rose-ringed Parakeet
Alexandrinus krameriLC
An established non-native resident, especially abundant in London and south-east England. Noisy flocks roost communally in large trees.
Year-round
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougalliiLC
A rare breeding tern, arriving May–September at a handful of coastal colonies. Coquet Island in Northumberland is a key UK site.
May–Sep
Ross's Goose
Anser rossiiLC
A rare visitor from North America, occasionally turning up among flocks of wintering geese. Most records come from Scotland and eastern England.
Aug–May
Rough-legged Hawk
Buteo lagopusLC
A rare winter visitor, mainly to eastern England's coastal marshes and farmland. Often hovers while hunting, unlike the resident Common Buzzard.
Oct–Feb
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensisLC
An uncommon introduced resident, now heavily controlled due to threats to native White-headed Ducks. Numbers have declined sharply.
Year-round
Ruddy Shelduck
Tadorna ferrugineaLC
A rare visitor, with sightings often debated as possible escapes from wildfowl collections. Most records occur in southern and eastern England.
Feb–Nov
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Found year-round on rocky shorelines and harbours, flipping stones and seaweed to find invertebrates. Numbers peak in winter with arrivals from Arctic breeding grounds.
Year-round
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
An uncommon wader found on coastal marshes and flooded fields, mainly as a passage migrant and winter visitor. Very few now breed in the UK.
Year-round
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabiniLC
A scarce passage migrant, mostly seen from western headlands during autumn gales. An elegant, fork-tailed gull from the high Arctic.
Jul–Jan
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
A common summer breeder nesting colonially in sandy riverbanks and quarry faces. Often the first hirundine to arrive in spring, from March onwards.
Mar–Oct
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
A pale, energetic wader found on sandy beaches year-round, with numbers peaking in winter. Runs rapidly along the tideline chasing waves.
Year-round
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
The earliest tern to return each spring, breeding in noisy colonies on shingle and sandy coasts. Present year-round, with numbers peaking in summer.
Year-round
Savi's Warbler
Locustella luscinioidesLC
A rare passage visitor to extensive reedbeds in May and June. Its reeling song resembles a distant insect buzz.
May–Jun
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
A common summer breeder in reedbeds, marshes, and waterside vegetation. Its chattering song is a characteristic sound of wetlands.
Mar–Oct
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeusLC
Hunts over moorland, rough grassland and coastal marshes. Breeds in upland areas and disperses to lowland sites in winter.
Year-round