Cygnus columbianus

29/09/2022

This nondescript lowland farmland bird is the largest of the buntings and is most usually seen perched on a wire or post. It is a stout, dumpy bird brown which flies off with a fluttering flight and with its legs characteristically 'dangling'. Its dramatic population decline in the UK makes it a Red List species.

27/09/2022

The UK breeding population of this small diving seaduck has substantially declined and it is now a Red List species. It's listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Its winter populations are vulnerable to oil spills.

27/09/2022

Corncrakes are related to moorhens, coots and rails but differ from most members of the family in that they live on dry land. Corncrakes are surprisingly small; they are only a little bigger than a blackbird. This Schedule 1 species is very secretive, spending most of its time hidden in tall vegetation, its presence only betrayed by its rasping call.

25/09/2022

These delightful silvery-grey and white birds have long tails which have earned them the nickname 'sea-swallow'. They have a buoyant, graceful flight and frequently hover over water before plunging down for a fish. They are often noisy in company and breed in colonies. The common tern is the tern species most likely to be found inland.

25/09/2022

Common rosefinches (also known as the scarlet rosefinch) are sparrow-sized birds, mottled brown above with a streaked breast, pale belly and forked tail. Males, older than one year, have scarlet head, breast and rump. Females, juveniles and first year males have streaked brown heads and somewhat resemble small corn buntings. The species breeds across much of northern Asia and parts of eastern and central Europe and migrate south-east in winter. In the UK they have bred sporadically.

23/09/2022

The common gull looks like a small, gentler version of the herring gull, with greenish legs and a yellow bill. Despite its name, it is not at all common in most inland areas, though it can be abundant on the coast and in some eastern counties. They are now seen more often in towns and on housing estates in winter.

23/09/2022

The common sandpiper is a smallish wader with contrasting brown upperparts and white underparts. It habitually bobs up and down, known as 'teetering', and has a distinctive flight with stiff, bowed wings. Its presence is often betrayed by its three-note call which it gives as it flies off.

22/09/2022

Discover some unlikely bird spots for birdwatching in London, fantastic London birdwatching communities & 12 of the best birdwatching spots.

22/09/2022

Explore our guide to bird watching holidays, including tour operators, how to save money, what to pack, & best time to go on a bird watching holiday.

21/09/2022

The capercaillie is a huge woodland grouse, the large black males are unmistakable. They spend a lot of time feeding on the ground, but may also be found in trees, feeding on shoots and buds. They are a localised breeding species found in Scottish native pinewood, a rare and vulnerable habitat, and in commercial conifer plantations. The UK capercaillie population has declined so rapidly that it is at very real risk of extinction (for the second time) and is a 'Red List' species.

21/09/2022

The cirl bunting is a charming relative of the yellowhammer that is at the limit of its European range in the UK. In spring, males have a striking black chin, eye stripe and crown and yellow stripes on head and yellow underparts. Female and juveniles look similar to yellowhammers, but have bolder head markings and streaked grey/brown rumps. It is a Schedule 1 species.

19/09/2022

Although not always the case, chiffchaffs often have dark legs and a short pale eye stripe, whereas the willow warbler - a very similar looking species - has pale legs and a long yellow eye stripe. It is readily distinguished by its song, from where it gets its name.

19/09/2022

19/09/2022