Scotland bird checklist
567 bird species in 82 families have been recorded in Scotland, according to eBird; about 334 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.
Download the PDF (567 species)
Species data: eBird.org, updated · How these lists are made
The most common birds in Scotland right now
1Common Wood-Pigeon
2Mute Swan
3European Shag
4Green-winged Teal
5European Starling
6Mallard
7Eurasian Wigeon
8Tufted Duck
9Graylag Goose
10Eurasian Oystercatcher
Scotland bird checklist
567 species · loading the checklist tools…
Rheas
- Greater Rhea
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck
- Bar-headed Goose
- Emperor Goose
- Snow Goose
- Ross's Goose
- Graylag Goose
- Swan Goose
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Lesser White-fronted Goose
- Taiga Bean-Goose
- Tundra Bean-Goose
- Pink-footed Goose
- Brant
- Barnacle Goose
- Cackling Goose
- Canada Goose
- Hawaiian Goose
- Red-breasted Goose
- Mute Swan
- Black Swan
- Tundra Swan
- Whooper Swan
- Egyptian Goose
- Ruddy Shelduck
- South African Shelduck
- Common Shelduck
- Muscovy Duck
- Wood Duck
- Mandarin Duck
- Baikal Teal
- Garganey
- Blue-winged Teal
- Cinnamon Teal
- Northern Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Eurasian Wigeon
- American Wigeon
- Chiloe Wigeon
- Mallard
- American Black Duck
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
- Yellow-billed Teal
- Red-crested Pochard
- Common Pochard
- Ring-necked Duck
- Ferruginous Duck
- Tufted Duck
- Greater Scaup
- Lesser Scaup
- Steller's Eider
- King Eider
- Common Eider
- Harlequin Duck
- Surf Scoter
- Velvet Scoter
- White-winged Scoter
- Stejneger's Scoter
- Common Scoter
- Black Scoter
- Long-tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
- Common Goldeneye
- Barrow's Goldeneye
- Smew
- Hooded Merganser
- Common Merganser
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Ruddy Duck
Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl
New World Quail
- California Quail
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Red Grouse
- Rock Ptarmigan
- Western Capercaillie
- Black Grouse
- Gray Partridge
- Reeves's Pheasant
- Golden Pheasant
- Lady Amherst's Pheasant
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- Green Pheasant
- Indian Peafowl
- Red Junglefowl
- Common Quail
- Red-legged Partridge
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Stock Dove
- Common Wood-Pigeon
- European Turtle-Dove
- Oriental Turtle-Dove
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Mourning Dove
Sandgrouse
- Pallas's Sandgrouse
Bustards
- Little Bustard
Cuckoos
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Black-billed Cuckoo
- Common Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Eurasian Nightjar
- Egyptian Nightjar
Swifts
- Chimney Swift
- White-throated Needletail
- Alpine Swift
- Common Swift
- Pallid Swift
- Pacific Swift
- Little Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Water Rail
- Corn Crake
- Spotted Crake
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Eurasian Coot
- American Coot
- Little Crake
- Baillon's Crake
Cranes
- Sandhill Crane
- Common Crane
Thick-knees
- Eurasian Thick-knee
Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt
- Pied Avocet
Oystercatchers
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- European Golden-Plover
- American Golden-Plover
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Eurasian Dotterel
- Killdeer
- Common Ringed Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Northern Lapwing
- Gray-headed Lapwing
- White-tailed Lapwing
- Caspian Plover
- Siberian Sand-Plover
- Greater Sand-Plover
- Kentish Plover
Sandpipers and Allies
- Upland Sandpiper
- Hudsonian Whimbrel
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Eskimo Curlew
- Eurasian Curlew
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Hudsonian Godwit
- Short-billed Dowitcher
- Long-billed Dowitcher
- Jack Snipe
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Great Snipe
- Common Snipe
- Wilson's Phalarope
- Red Phalarope
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Terek Sandpiper
- Common Sandpiper
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Solitary Sandpiper
- Gray-tailed Tattler
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Redshank
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Spotted Redshank
- Common Greenshank
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Great Knot
- Red Knot
- Ruff
- Broad-billed Sandpiper
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Stilt Sandpiper
- Temminck's Stint
- Red-necked Stint
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Purple Sandpiper
- Baird's Sandpiper
- Little Stint
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- Least Sandpiper
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Western Sandpiper
- Semipalmated Sandpiper
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Cream-colored Courser
- Collared Pratincole
- Black-winged Pratincole
Skuas and Jaegers
- Long-tailed Jaeger
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Great Skua
Auks, Murres, and Puffins
- Atlantic Puffin
- Black Guillemot
- Razorbill
- Dovekie
- Thick-billed Murre
- Common Murre
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Little Gull
- Ross's Gull
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Ivory Gull
- Sabine's Gull
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Laughing Gull
- Franklin's Gull
- Mediterranean Gull
- Common Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Caspian Gull
- American Herring Gull
- European Herring Gull
- Yellow-legged Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Iceland Gull
- Sooty Tern
- Bridled Tern
- Little Tern
- Gull-billed Tern
- Caspian Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- Black Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Forster's Tern
- Arctic Tern
- Common Tern
- Roseate Tern
- Sandwich Tern
- Lesser Crested Tern
- Royal Tern
Flamingos
- Chilean Flamingo
- Greater Flamingo
Grebes
- Little Grebe
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Horned Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
- Eared Grebe
Loons
- Red-throated Loon
- Arctic Loon
- Pacific Loon
- Common Loon
- Yellow-billed Loon
Albatrosses
- Black-browed Albatross
Southern Storm-Petrels
- Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Northern Storm-Petrels
- European Storm-Petrel
- Leach's Storm-Petrel
- Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Northern Fulmar
- Desertas Petrel
- Cory's Shearwater
- Scopoli's Shearwater
- Great Shearwater
- Sooty Shearwater
- Manx Shearwater
- Balearic Shearwater
- Barolo Shearwater
Storks
- Black Stork
- White Stork
Boobies and Gannets
- Northern Gannet
- Brown Booby
Cormorants and Shags
- Great Cormorant
- European Shag
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Eurasian Bittern
- American Bittern
- Least Bittern
- Little Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Snowy Egret
- Little Egret
- Green Heron
- Squacco Heron
- Western Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
Osprey
- Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- European Honey-buzzard
- Short-toed Snake-Eagle
- Golden Eagle
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Eurasian Goshawk
- Western Marsh Harrier
- Hen Harrier
- Northern Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Montagu's Harrier
- Red Kite
- Black Kite
- White-tailed Eagle
- Harris's Hawk
- Rough-legged Hawk
- Common Buzzard
Barn-Owls
- Western Barn Owl
Owls
- Eurasian Scops-Owl
- Snowy Owl
- Eurasian Eagle-Owl
- Northern Hawk Owl
- Little Owl
- Tawny Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Short-eared Owl
- Boreal Owl
Hoopoes
- Common Hoopoe
Bee-eaters
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- European Bee-eater
Kingfishers
- Common Kingfisher
- Laughing Kookaburra
- Belted Kingfisher
Rollers
- European Roller
Woodpeckers
- Eurasian Wryneck
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Eurasian Green Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Red-footed Falcon
- Merlin
- Eurasian Hobby
- Lanner Falcon
- Saker Falcon
- Gyrfalcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Cockatoos
- Cockatiel
Old World Parrots
- Alexandrine Parakeet
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
- Budgerigar
New World and African Parrots
- Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Tyrant Flycatchers
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
- Eastern Kingbird
Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis
- Philadelphia Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
Shrikes
- Red-backed Shrike
- Red-tailed Shrike
- Isabelline Shrike
- Brown Shrike
- Long-tailed Shrike
- Great Gray Shrike
- Lesser Gray Shrike
- Masked Shrike
- Woodchat Shrike
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Eurasian Jay
- Eurasian Magpie
- Red-billed Chough
- Eurasian Jackdaw
- Rook
- Carrion Crow
- Hooded Crow
- Common Raven
Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
- Coal Tit
- Crested Tit
- Marsh Tit
- Willow Tit
- Eurasian Blue Tit
- Great Tit
Larks
- Wood Lark
- Eurasian Skylark
- Horned Lark
- Greater Short-toed Lark
- Calandra Lark
Bearded Reedling
- Bearded Reedling
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Thick-billed Warbler
- Booted Warbler
- Sykes's Warbler
- Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
- Western Olivaceous Warbler
- Olive-tree Warbler
- Melodious Warbler
- Icterine Warbler
- Aquatic Warbler
- Sedge Warbler
- Paddyfield Warbler
- Blyth's Reed Warbler
- Marsh Warbler
- Common Reed Warbler
- Great Reed Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
- Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler
- Lanceolated Warbler
- River Warbler
- Savi's Warbler
- Common Grasshopper Warbler
Swallows
- Bank Swallow
- Purple Martin
- Eurasian Crag-Martin
- Barn Swallow
- Western House-Martin
- European Red-rumped Swallow
- Eastern Red-rumped Swallow
Leaf Warblers
- Wood Warbler
- Western Bonelli's Warbler
- Eastern Bonelli's Warbler
- Yellow-browed Warbler
- Hume's Warbler
- Pallas's Leaf Warbler
- Radde's Warbler
- Dusky Warbler
- Willow Warbler
- Common Chiffchaff
- Iberian Chiffchaff
- Eastern Crowned Warbler
- Green Warbler
- Greenish Warbler
- Two-barred Warbler
- Arctic Warbler
Bush Warblers and Allies
- Cetti's Warbler
Long-tailed Tits
- Long-tailed Tit
Sylviid Warblers and Allies
- Eurasian Blackcap
- Garden Warbler
- Barred Warbler
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Western Orphean Warbler
- Rüppell's Warbler
- Sardinian Warbler
- Moltoni's Warbler
- Western Subalpine Warbler
- Eastern Subalpine Warbler
- Greater Whitethroat
- Marmora's Warbler
Kinglets
- Goldcrest
- Common Firecrest
Nuthatches
- Eurasian Nuthatch
Treecreepers
- Eurasian Treecreeper
Wrens
- Eurasian Wren
Dippers
- White-throated Dipper
Starlings
- European Starling
- Rosy Starling
- Daurian Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- White's Thrush
- Varied Thrush
- Veery
- Gray-cheeked Thrush
- Swainson's Thrush
- Hermit Thrush
- Siberian Thrush
- Mistle Thrush
- Song Thrush
- Redwing
- Eurasian Blackbird
- Eyebrowed Thrush
- Fieldfare
- Ring Ouzel
- Black-throated Thrush
- Dusky Thrush
- American Robin
Old World Flycatchers
- Asian Brown Flycatcher
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Verditer Flycatcher
- European Robin
- Rufous-tailed Robin
- Siberian Blue Robin
- White-throated Robin
- Thrush Nightingale
- Common Nightingale
- Bluethroat
- Siberian Rubythroat
- Red-flanked Bluetail
- Taiga Flycatcher
- Red-breasted Flycatcher
- European Pied Flycatcher
- Collared Flycatcher
- Common Redstart
- Black Redstart
- Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
- Blue Rock-Thrush
- Whinchat
- European Stonechat
- Siberian Stonechat
- Amur Stonechat
- Northern Wheatear
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Desert Wheatear
- Western Black-eared Wheatear
- Eastern Black-eared Wheatear
- Pied Wheatear
Waxwings
- Bohemian Waxwing
Waxbills and Allies
- Zebra Finch
Accentors
- Siberian Accentor
- Dunnock
Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow
- Spanish Sparrow
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Gray Wagtail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- Eastern Yellow Wagtail
- Citrine Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Richard's Pipit
- Blyth's Pipit
- Tawny Pipit
- Meadow Pipit
- Tree Pipit
- Olive-backed Pipit
- Pechora Pipit
- Red-throated Pipit
- Water Pipit
- Rock Pipit
- American Pipit
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Common Chaffinch
- Brambling
- Hawfinch
- Yellow-billed Grosbeak
- Common Rosefinch
- Pallas's Rosefinch
- Pine Grosbeak
- Eurasian Bullfinch
- Trumpeter Finch
- European Greenfinch
- Twite
- Eurasian Linnet
- Redpoll
- Parrot Crossbill
- Scottish Crossbill
- Red Crossbill
- White-winged Crossbill
- European Goldfinch
- Citril Finch
- European Serin
- Eurasian Siskin
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
- Lapland Longspur
- Snow Bunting
Old World Buntings
- Black-headed Bunting
- Red-headed Bunting
- Corn Bunting
- Chestnut-eared Bunting
- Cirl Bunting
- Yellowhammer
- Pine Bunting
- Ortolan Bunting
- Cretzschmar's Bunting
- Pallas's Bunting
- Reed Bunting
- Yellow-breasted Bunting
- Little Bunting
- Rustic Bunting
- Black-faced Bunting
- Chestnut Bunting
- Yellow-browed Bunting
New World Sparrows
- Dark-eyed Junco
- White-crowned Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Savannah Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
Troupials and Allies
- Yellow-headed Blackbird
- Bobolink
- Baltimore Oriole
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Brown-headed Cowbird
New World Warblers
- Ovenbird
- Tennessee Warbler
- Common Yellowthroat
- American Redstart
- Cape May Warbler
- Northern Parula
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Northern Yellow Warbler
- Blackpoll Warbler
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Wilson's Warbler
Cardinals and Allies
- Scarlet Tanager
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Painted Bunting
Most common birds in Scotland
Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Scotland’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- Common Wood-PigeonColumba palumbus
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- European ShagGulosus aristotelis
- Green-winged TealAnas crecca
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Graylag GooseAnser anser
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Eurasian JackdawColoeus monedula
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata
- Common RedshankTringa totanus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Common RavenCorvus corax
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
Largest bird families in Scotland
Among its regular birds.
- Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl49
- Sandpipers and Allies31
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers23
- Finches, Euphonias, and Allies16
- Old World Flycatchers14
- Wagtails and Pipits13
- Leaf Warblers11
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites10
Reported in the last 30 days
276 species reported to eBird in Scotland in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Arctic Tern, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Greater Scaup, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, European Herring Gull, Common Wood-Pigeon, European Shag, Hooded Crow, Common Raven, Graylag Goose, Eurasian Magpie, Carrion Crow, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Jay, Goldcrest, Eurasian Curlew, Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, Eurasian Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Common Redshank, Merlin, Mallard, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Red Grouse, European Golden-Plover, Ring-necked Pheasant, Gray Heron, European Starling, Common Gull, Gadwall, Little Egret, Eurasian Jackdaw, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Merganser, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Black-headed Gull, …
Get to know some of them
Goldcrest
Eurasian Jackdaw
Eurasian Curlew
Common Redshank
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Common Raven
Black-headed Gull
Dunlin
Ruddy Turnstone
Common Buzzard
Eurasian Magpie
Ring-necked Pheasant
Carrion Crow
Arctic Tern