List of birds of Great Britain
This list of birds of Great Britain comprises all bird species that have been recorded in a wild state in Great Britain. It follows the official British List, maintained by the British Ornithologists' Union. Decisions relating to the British List are published by the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee in its annual reports in the BOU's journal Ibis. These reports were formerly geographically based and included the whole of the British Isles, but records for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are now published by their own ornithological associations. Records from the Isle of Man are adjudicated by the Manx Ornithological Society.
Bird species admitted to the British List are those in BOU categories A, B or C:
- A: species that have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since 1 January 1950.
- B: species that were recorded in an apparently natural state at least once between 1 January 1800 and 31 December 1949, but have not been recorded subsequently.
- C: species that, although originally introduced by humans, either deliberately or accidentally, have established breeding populations derived from introduced stock, which maintain themselves without necessary recourse to further introduction.
Categories D and E are used for record keeping only, and species in these categories are not included in the British List:
- D: species that would otherwise appear in categories A or B except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state.
- E: species that have been recorded as introductions, transportees, or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations are not believed to be self-sustaining.
- F: species recorded before 1800, including fossil species.
Species listed on this page as "rare" are those for which a full description is required for acceptance of the record by the British Birds Rarities Committee. Other species have an indication of their breeding and wintering status in Great Britain.
In general the avifauna of Britain is similar to that of the rest of Europe. Because of its mild winters, Great Britain has a considerable population of wintering species, particularly ducks, geese and swans. There are also a number of species, such as the oystercatcher, that are resident on the island of Great Britain, but migrants elsewhere. Britain receives a number of vagrants from Asia and North America. Some American gulls, ducks and waders are regular enough not to be considered rare, including the ring-billed gull, surf scoter and pectoral sandpiper. There is one endemic bird species found in Great Britain: the Scottish crossbill.
Ducks, geese, and swans
Order: AnseriformesFamily: AnatidaeThe swans, ducks and geese are medium to large birds that are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet and bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent. In many ducks the male is colourful while the female is dull brown. The diet consists of a variety of animals and plants. The family is well represented in Britain, especially in winter when large numbers visit from Greenland, Scandinavia and Russia.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
| Brent goose | A – winter visitor | |
| Red-breasted goose | A – rare vagrant | |
| Canada goose | A & C – resident introduced population, some wild vagrants | |
| Barnacle goose | A & C – winter visitor and resident introduced population | |
| Cackling goose | A – rare vagrant | |
| Ross's goose | A – rare vagrant | |
| Snow goose | A & C – some wild vagrants, also a very small feral introduced population | |
| Greylag goose | A & C – resident wild and feral populations, winter visitor | |
| Taiga bean goose | A – winter visitor | |
| Pink-footed goose | A – winter visitor | |
| Tundra bean goose | A – winter visitor | |
| White-fronted goose | A – winter visitor | |
| Lesser white-fronted goose | A – rare vagrant | |
| Mute swan | A & C – resident breeding species | |
| Bewick's swan | A – winter visitor | |
| Whooper swan | A – winter visitor and occasional breeder | |
| Egyptian goose | C – resident introduced population | |
| Shelduck | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Ruddy shelduck | B – numerous records since 1946 are presumed feral or escapes from captivity | |
| Mandarin duck | C – resident introduced population | |
| Baikal teal | A – rare vagrant | |
| Garganey | A – breeding summer visitor | |
| Blue-winged teal | A – rare vagrant | |
| Shoveler | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Gadwall | A & C – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Falcated duck | A – rare vagrant | |
| Wigeon | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| American wigeon | A – scarce migrant | |
| Mallard | A & C – resident breeder, winter visitor and naturalised releases | |
| Black duck | A – rare vagrant | |
| Pintail | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Teal | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Green-winged teal | A – scarce migrant | |
| Red-crested pochard | A & C – scarce migrant and introduced breeder | |
| Canvasback | A – rare vagrant | |
| Redhead | A – rare vagrant | |
| Pochard | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Ferruginous duck | A – scarce migrant | |
| Ring-necked duck | A – scarce migrant | |
| Tufted duck | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Scaup | A – winter visitor and occasional breeder | |
| Lesser scaup | A – rare vagrant | |
| Steller's eider | A – rare vagrant | |
| King eider | A – rare vagrant | |
| Eider | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Harlequin duck | A – rare vagrant | |
| Surf scoter | A – scarce migrant | |
| Velvet scoter | A – winter visitor | |
| White-winged scoter | A – rare vagrant | |
| Stejneger's scoter | A – rare vagrant, first recorded 2022 | |
| Common scoter | A – passage and winter visitor, and rare breeder | |
| Black scoter | A – rare vagrant | |
| Long-tailed duck | A – winter visitor and occasional breeder | |
| Bufflehead | A – rare vagrant | |
| Goldeneye | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Barrow's goldeneye | A – rare vagrant | |
| Smew | A – winter visitor | |
| Hooded merganser | A – rare vagrant | |
| Goosander | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Red-breasted merganser | A – resident breeder and winter visitor | |
| Ruddy duck | C – introduced species currently subject to an eradication programme |
Pheasants, grouse, and allies
Order: GalliformesFamily: PhasianidaeThese are terrestrial species, feeding and nesting on the ground. They are variable in size but generally plump, with broad and relatively short wings. Four of these were introduced for hunting or ornamental purposes but two have now died out.
| Common and binomial names | Image | Status |
| Red grouse | A – resident breeding species | |
| Ptarmigan | A – resident breeding species | |
| Capercaillie | C – resident reintroduced population | |
| Black grouse | A – resident breeding species | |
| Grey partridge | A & C – resident breeder and introduced gamebird | |
| Golden pheasant | C – former introduced population, now died out | |
| Lady Amherst's pheasant | C – former introduced population, now died out | |
| Pheasant | C – resident introduced population | |
| Quail | A – breeding summer visitor | |
| Red-legged partridge | C – resident introduced population |