List of British birds: non-passerines

Contents

1 Introduction 2 List of British birds 2.1 Anseriformes 2.2 Galliformes 2.3 Gaviiformes 2.4 Podicipediformes 2.5 Procellariiformes 2.6 Pelecaniformes 2.7 Ciconiiformes 2.8 Accipitriformes 2.9 Falconiformes 2.10 Gruiformes 2.11 Charadriiformes 2.11.1 Suborder Charadrii: waders 2.11.2 Suborder Lari: skuas, gulls & terns 2.11.3 Suborder Alcae: auks 2.12 Pterocliformes 2.13 Columbiformes 2.14 Psittaciformes 2.15 Cuculiformes 2.16 Strigiformes 2.17 Caprimulgiformes 2.18 Apodiformes 2.19 Coraciiformes 2.20 Piciformes 2.21 Passeriformes 3 References and links 4 See also

Introduction

The list of British birds comprises all those bird species which have occurred in a wild state in Great Britain. In general the avifauna of Britain is, of course, similar to that of Europe, although with fewer breeding species. There are 566 species of birds on the British list as at February 1, 2004, with the latest addition Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach). The species order and scientific names used here follow that of the Official British List (http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst.html), maintained by the British Ornithologists' Union (http://www.bou.org.uk) (BOU). In a few cases, the English names used here differ from those adopted by the BOU, to reflect names in more widespread use among the British birding public.

The BOU uses the following categories for British bird species:

• A Species which have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since January 1, 1950.
• B Species which were recorded in an apparently natural state at least once up to December 31, 1949, but have not been recorded subsequently.
• C Species that, although originally introduced by man, either deliberately or accidentally, have established breeding populations derived from introduced stock, that maintain themselves without necessary recourse to further introduction.
  • Categories A, B and C constitute the Official British List.
    • Note that birds can be listed in more than one category, e.g. Canada Goose, with a small number of naturally occurring birds (A), and also many introduced birds (C).

• 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 (if any) are thought not to be self sustaining.
  • Birds in Categories D and E are NOT on the Official British List (and are not included here).

Species listed as rare here are those for which records are assessed by the British Birds Rarities Committee (http://www.bbrc.org.uk/) (BBRC); claims of these species are not accepted unless documented by adequate field descriptions.

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 Oystercatcher, which are resident in this island, but migrants elsewhere. Also because of its position, 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. These include Ring-billed Gull, Surf Scoter and Pectoral Sandpiper; 150 of the latter species were found in Britain in the record month of September 2003, with a further 40 in Ireland.

This page lists the British bird species in the non-passerine families. See List of British birds: passerines for the rest of the list.

List of British birds

Anseriformes

• Anatidae: swans, geese and ducks
  • Mute Swan - Cygnus olor A & C
  • Tundra Swan - Cygnus columbianus A
  • Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus A
  • Bean Goose - Anser fabalis A
  • Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus A
  • White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons A
  • Lesser White-fronted Goose - Anser erythropus A rare
  • Greylag Goose - Anser anser A & C
  • Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens A most records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Canada Goose - Branta canadensis A & C
  • Barnacle Goose - Branta leucopsis A
  • Brent Goose - Branta bernicla A
  • Red-breasted Goose - Branta ruficollis A rare
  • Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca C
  • Ruddy Shelduck - Tadorna ferruginea B & C many records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna A
  • Mandarin Duck - Aix galericulata C
  • Wigeon - Anas penelope A
  • American Wigeon - Anas americana A rare
  • Gadwall - Anas strepera A & C
  • Common Teal - Anas crecca A
  • Green-winged Teal - Anas carolinensis A
  • Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos A & C
  • American Black Duck - Anas rubripes A rare
  • Northern Pintail - Anas acuta A
  • Garganey - Anas querquedula A
  • Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors A rare
  • Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata A
  • Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina A & C
  • Pochard - Aythya ferina A
  • Redhead - Aythya americana A rare
  • Canvasback - Aythya valisineria A rare
  • Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris A
  • Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca A rare many records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula A
  • Greater Scaup - Aythya marila A
  • Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis A rare
  • Common Eider - Somateria mollissima A
  • King Eider - Somateria spectabilis A rare
  • Steller's Eider - Polysticta stelleri A rare
  • Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus A rare
  • Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis A
  • Common Scoter - Melanitta nigra A
  • Surf Scoter - Melanitta perspicillata A
  • Velvet Scoter - Melanitta fusca A
  • Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola A rare most records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Barrow's Goldeneye - Bucephala islandica A rare most records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula A
  • Smew - Mergellus albellus A
  • Red-breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator A
  • Goosander - Mergus merganser A
  • Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis C introduced species currently subject to an eradication programme

Galliformes

• Tetraonidae: grouse
  • Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica A
  • Ptarmigan - Lagopus muta A
  • Eurasian Black Grouse - Tetrao tetrix A
  • Capercaillie - Tetrao urogallus B & C reintroduced
• Phasianidae: partridges, pheasants and quails
  • Red-legged Partridge - Alectoris rufa C
  • Grey Partridge - Perdix perdix A & C
  • Common Quail - Coturnix coturnix A
  • Common Pheasant - Phasanius colchicus C
  • Golden Pheasant - Chrysolophus pictus C
  • Lady Amherst's Pheasant - Chrysolophus amherstiae C

Gaviiformes

• Gaviidae: divers
  • Red-throated Diver - Gavia stellata A
  • Black-throated Diver - Gavia arctica A
  • Great Northern Diver - Gavia immer A
  • White-billed Diver - Gavia adamsii A rare

Podicipediformes

• Podicepidae: grebes
  • Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps A rare
  • Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis A
  • Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus A
  • Red-necked Grebe - Podiceps grisegena A
  • Slavonian Grebe - Podiceps auritus A
  • Black-necked Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis A

Procellariiformes

• Diomedeidae: albatrosses
  • Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris A rare
• Procellariidae: fulmar, shearwaters, gadfly and other petrels
  • Northern Fulmar - Fulmarus glacialis A
  • Fea's Petrel - Pterodroma feae A rare
  • Capped Petrel - Pterodroma hasitata B rare
  • Bulwer's Petrel - Bulweria bulwerii A rare
  • Cory's Shearwater - Calonectis diomedea A
  • Great Shearwater - Puffinus gravis A
  • Sooty Shearwater - Puffinus griseus A
  • Manx Shearwater - Puffinus puffinus A
  • Balearic Shearwater - Puffinus mauretanicus A
  • Little Shearwater - Puffinus assimilis A rare
• Hydrobatidae: storm petrels
  • Wilson's Petrel - Oceanites oceanicus A rare (though more regular well offshore)
  • White-faced Petrel - Pelagodroma marina B rare
  • Storm Petrel - Hydrobates pelagicus A
  • Leach's Petrel - Oceanodroma leucorhea A
  • Swinhoe's Petrel - Oceanodroma monorhis A rare
  • Madeiran Petrel - Oceanodroma castro B rare

Pelecaniformes

• Sulidae: gannets
  • Gannet - Morus bassanus A
• Phalacrocoracidae: cormorants
  • Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo A
  • Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus A rare
  • Common Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis A
• Fregatidae: frigatebirds
  • Ascension Frigatebird - Fregata aquila A rare
• Phaethontidae: tropicbirds
  • Red-billed Tropicbird - Phaeton aetherius A rare

Ciconiiformes

• Ardeidae: herons and bitterns
  • Bittern - Botaurus stellata A
  • American Bittern - Botaurus lentiginosa A rare
  • Little Bittern - Ixobrychus minutus A rare
  • Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax A rare
  • Green Heron - Butorides virescens A rare
  • Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides A rare
  • Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis A rare
  • Little Egret - Egretta garzetta A
  • Snowy Egret - Egretta thula A rare
  • Great White Egret - Ardea alba A rare
  • Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea A
  • Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea A
• Ciconiidae: storks (rare)
  • Black Stork - Ciconia nigra A rare
  • White Stork - Ciconia ciconia A
• Threskiornithidae: ibises and spoonbills
  • Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus A rare
  • Common Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia A

Accipitriformes

Some classifications also include the Falconidae.

• Pandionidae: Osprey
  • Osprey - Pandion haliaetus A
• Accipitridae: hawks, eagles, buzzards, harriers, kites and allies
  • European Honey Buzzard - Pernis apivorus A
  • Black Kite - Milvus migrans A rare
  • Red Kite - Milvus milvus A & C
  • White-tailed Eagle - Haliaeetus albicilla A & C
  • Egyptian Vulture - Neophron percnopterus B
  • Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus A rare
  • Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus A
  • Hen Harrier - Circus cyaneus A
  • Pallid Harrier - Circus macrourus A rare
  • Montagu's Harrier - Circus pygargus A
  • Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis A & C
  • Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus A
  • Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo A
  • Rough-legged Buzzard - Buteo lagopus A
  • Greater Spotted Eagle - Aquila clanga B
  • Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos A

Falconiformes

Sometimes included in the Accipitriformes

• Falconidae: falcons
  • Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni A rare
  • Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus A
  • American Kestrel - Falco sparverius A rare
  • Red-footed Falcon - Falco vespertinus A rare
  • Merlin - Falco columbarius A
  • Eurasian Hobby - Falco subbuteo A
  • Eleanora's Falcon - Falco eleonorae A rare
  • Gyr Falcon - Falco rusticolus A rare
  • Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus A

Gruiformes

• Rallidae: rails and crakes
  • Water Rail - Rallus aquaticus A
  • Spotted Crake - Porzana porzana A
  • Sora - Porzana carolina A rare
  • Little Crake - Porzana parva A rare
  • Baillon's Crake - Porzana pusilla A rare
  • Corn Crake - Crex crex A
  • Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus A
  • Allen's Gallinule - Porphyrio alleni A rare
  • American Purple Gallinule - Porphyrio martinica A rare
  • Coot - Fulica atra A
  • American Coot - Fulica americana A rare
• Gruidae: cranes
  • Common Crane - Grus grus A
  • Sandhill Crane - Grus americana A rare
• Otidae: bustards
  • Little Bustard - Tetrax tetrax A rare
  • Macqueen's Bustard - Chlamydotis macqueenii B rare
  • Great Bustard - Otis tarda A rare

Charadriiformes

Suborder Charadrii: waders

• Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
  • Common Pied Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus A
• Recurvirostridae: avocets and stilts
  • Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus A rare
  • Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta A
• Burhinidae: thick-knees
  • Stone Curlew - Burhinus oedicnemus A
• Glareolidae: coursers and pratincoles
  • Cream-coloured Courser - Cursorius cursor A rare rare
  • Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola A rare
  • Oriental Pratincole - Glareola maldivarum A rare
  • Black-winged Pratincole - Glareola nordmanni A rare
• Charadriidae: plovers and lapwings
  • Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius A
  • Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula A
  • Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus A rare
  • Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus A rare
  • Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus A
  • Lesser Sand Plover - Charadrius mongolus A rare
  • Greater Sand Plover - Charadrius leschenaultii A rare
  • Caspian Plover - Charadrius asiaticus A rare
  • Eurasian Dotterel - Charadrius morinellus A
  • American Golden Plover - Pluvialis dominica A rare
  • Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva A rare
  • Golden Plover - Pluvialis apricaria A
  • Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola A
  • Sociable Lapwing - Vanellus gregarius A rare
  • White-tailed Lapwing - Vanellus leucurus A rare
  • Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus A
• Scolopacidae: typical waders or shorebirds
  • Great Knot - Calidris tenuirostris A rare
  • Red Knot - Calidris canutus A
  • Sanderling - Calidris alba A
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla A rare
  • Western Sandpiper - Calidris mauri A rare
  • Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis A rare
  • Little Stint - Calidris minuta A
  • Temminck's Stint - Calidris temminckii A
  • Long-toed Stint - Calidris subminuta A rare
  • Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla A rare
  • White-rumped Sandpiper - Calidris fuscicollis A rare
  • Baird's Sandpiper - Calidris bairdii A rare
  • Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos A
  • Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Calidris acuminata A rare
  • Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea A
  • Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus A rare
  • Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima A
  • Dunlin - Calidris alpina A
  • Broad-billed Sandpiper - Limicola falcinellus A rare
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Tryngites subruficollis A
  • Ruff - Philomachus pugnax A
  • Jack Snipe - Lymnocryptes minimus A
  • Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago A
  • Great Snipe - Gallinago media A rare
  • Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus A rare
  • Long-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus scolopaceus A rare
  • Woodcock - Scolopax rusticola A
  • Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa A
  • Hudsonian Godwit - Limosa haemastica A rare
  • Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica A
  • Little Curlew - Numenius minutus A rare
  • Eskimo Curlew - Numenius borealis B extinct
  • Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus A
  • Slender-billed Curlew - Numenius tenuirostris A rare
  • Curlew - Numenius arquata A
  • Upland Sandpiper - Bartramia longicauda A rare
  • Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus A
  • Common Redshank - Tringa totanus A
  • Marsh Sandpiper - Tringa stagnatilis A rare
  • Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia A
  • Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca A rare
  • Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes A rare
  • Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria A rare
  • Green Sandpiper - Tringa ochropus A
  • Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola A
  • Terek Sandpiper - Xenus cinereus A rare
  • Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos A
  • Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius A rare
  • Grey-tailed Tattler - Heterosceles brevipes A rare
  • Turnstone - Arenaria interpres A
  • Wilson's Phalarope - Phalaropus tricolor A rare
  • Red-necked Phalarope - Phalaropus lobatus A
  • Grey Phalarope - Phalaropus fulicaria A

Suborder Lari: skuas, gulls & terns

• Stercorariidae: skuas
  • Pomarine Skua - Stercorarius pomarinus A
  • Arctic Skua - Stercorarius parasiticus A
  • Long-tailed Skua - Stercorarius longicaudus A
  • Great Skua - Stercorarius skua A
• Laridae: gulls
  • Great Black-headed Gull - Larus ichthyaetus B rare
  • Mediterranean Gull - Larus melanocephalus A
  • Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla A rare
  • Franklin's Gull - Larus pipixcan A rare
  • Little Gull - Larus minutus A
  • Sabine's Gull - Larus sabini A
  • Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphia A rare
  • Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus A
  • Slender-billed Gull - Larus genei A rare
  • Audouin's Gull - Larus audouinii A rare
  • Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis A
  • Common Gull - Larus canus A
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus A
  • Herring Gull - Larus argentatus A
  • Iceland Gull - Larus glaucoides A
  • Glaucous Gull - Larus hyperboreus A
  • Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus A
  • Ross's Gull - Rhodostethia rosea A rare
  • Kittiwake - Rissa tridactyla A
  • Ivory Gull - Pagophila eburnea A rare
• Sternidae: terns
  • Gull-billed Tern - Sterna nilotica A rare
  • Caspian Tern - Sterna caspia A rare
  • Royal Tern - Sterna maximus A rare
  • Lesser Crested Tern - Sterna bengalensis A rare
  • Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis A
  • Elegant Tern - Sterna elegans A rare
  • Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii A
  • Common Tern - Sterna hirundo A
  • Arctic Tern - Sterna paradisaea A
  • Aleutian Tern - Sterna aleutica A rare
  • Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri A rare
  • Bridled Tern - Sterna anaethetus A rare
  • Sooty Tern - Sterna fuscata A rare
  • Little Tern - Sterna albifrons A
  • Whiskered Tern - Chlidonias hybridus A rare
  • Black Tern - Chlidonias niger A
  • White-winged Tern - Chlidonias leucopterus A rare

Suborder Alcae: auks

• Alcidae: auks
  • Common Guillemot - Uria aalge A
  • Brunnich's Guillemot - Uria lomvia A rare
  • Razorbill - Alca torda A
  • Great Auk - Pinguinus impennis B extinct
  • Black Guillemot - Cepphus grylle A
  • Ancient Murrelet - Synthliboramphus antiquus A rare
  • Little Auk - Alle alle A
  • Atlantic Puffin - Fratercula arctica A

Pterocliformes

• Pteroclidae: sandgrouse
  • Pallas's Sandgrouse - Syrrhaptes paradoxus A rare

Columbiformes

• Columbidae: pigeons and doves
  • Rock Pigeon or Feral Pigeon - Columba livia A & C
  • Stock Pigeon - Columba oenas A
  • Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus A
  • Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto A
  • Turtle Dove - Streptopelia turtur A
  • Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis A rare
  • Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura' A rare

Psittaciformes

• Psittacidae: parrots
  • Ring-necked Parakeet - Psittacula krameri C

Cuculiformes

• Cuculidae: cuckoos
  • Great Spotted Cuckoo - Clamator glandarius A rare
  • Common Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus A
  • Black-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus erythropthalmus A rare
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus A rare

Strigiformes

• Tytonidae: barn owls
  • Barn Owl - Tyto alba A
• Strigidae: owls
  • Scops Owl - Otus scops A rare
  • Snowy Owl - Bubo scandiacus A rare
  • Northern Hawk Owl - Surnia ulula A rare
  • Little Owl - Athene noctua C
  • Tawny Owl - Strix aluco A
  • Long-eared Owl - Asio otus A
  • Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus A
  • Tengmalm's Owl - Aegolius funereus A rare

Caprimulgiformes

• Caprimulgidae: nightjars
  • European Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus A
  • Red-necked Nightjar - Caprimulgus ruficollis A rare
  • Egyptian Nightjar - Caprimulgus aegyptius A rare
  • Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor A rare

Apodiformes

• Apodidae: swifts
  • Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica A rare
  • Needle-tailed Swift - Hirundapus caudacutus A rare
  • Common Swift - Apus apus A
  • Pallid Swift - Apus pallidus A rare
  • Pacific Swift - Apus pacificus A rare
  • Alpine Swift - Apus melba A rare
  • Little Swift - Apus affinis A rare

Coraciiformes

• Alcedinidae: kingfishers
  • European Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis A
  • Belted Kingfisher - Ceryle alcyon A rare
• Meropidae: bee-eaters
  • Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - Merops persicus A rare
  • European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster A
• Coraciidae: rollers
  • European Roller - Coracias garrulus A rare
• Upupidae: Hoopoes
  • Hoopoe - Upupa epops A

Piciformes

• Picidae: woodpeckers
  • Eurasian Wryneck - Jynx torquilla A
  • Green Woodpecker - Picus viridis A
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus varius A rare
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major A
  • Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos minor A

Passeriformes

• See List of British birds: passerines

The links above lead to family accounts and individual species. Taxonomy is very fluid in the age of DNA analysis, so other arrangements may be found, as in Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy.

References and links

• The British Ornithologists' Union publishes a List of British birds (http://www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst.html).
• Also see Taxonomic Recommendations for European Birds (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.0019-1019.2001.00026.x/pdf) and *Taxonomic recommendations for British birds (http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1474-919x.2002.00110.x/pdf) (both in PDF format).

See also

• British Birds (a long- established ornithology journal).
• Birdwatching
• European birds
• Ornithology