What to See: Avian
Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust (SBBOT)
Please visit our "avian" page in "sightings" for information regarding the latest sightings of birds in our area.
To access a tick list of the birds and butterflies commonly seen in the Sandwich Bay area please click on bird & butterfly checklist.
Below is a list of all of the species seen in the Sandwich Bay recording area. To access a printable version of this list please click on COMPLETE birdlist.
The following codes are used:
B = breeding species, M = migrant, P = passage migrant, R = resident, S = summer visitor, W = winter visitor, V = vagrant, X = seen, but not since Observatory founded (1952)
1 = occurs less than annually, 2 = annual but rare, 3 = scarcely seen, 4 = usually seen, 5 = common
| Red-throated Diver | P3 W4 | |
| Black-throated Diver | W2 | |
| Great Northern Diver | W1 | |
| Little Grebe | R4 B2 W4 | |
| Great Crested Grebe | S1 P2 W4 | |
| Red-necked Grebe | W1 | |
| Slavonian Grebe | W1 | |
| Black-necked Grebe | W2 | |
| Fulmar | S4 P4 W4 | |
| Cory's Shearwater | V | |
| Sooty Shearwater | V | |
| Manx Shearwater | V | |
| Balearic Shearwater | V | |
| Storm Petrel | V | |
| Leach's Petrel | V | |
| Gannet | P3 W3 | |
| Cormorant | R4 P4 W4 | |
| Shag | ||
| Bittern | W2 | |
| Little Bittern | V | |
| Great White Egret | V | |
| Night Heron | V | |
| Cattle Egret | V | |
| Little Egret | R4 S4 W4 | |
| Grey Heron | R4 B1 P4 W4 | |
| Purple Heron | P1 | |
| White Stork | V | |
| Glossy Ibis | V | |
| Spoonbill | P1 | |
| Mute Swan | R4 B4 W4 | |
| Bewick's Swan | P2 W3 | |
| Whooper Swan | P2 W3 | |
| Bean Goose | W1 | |
| Pink-footed Goose | W1 | |
| White-fronted Goose | W3 | |
| Greylag Goose | R2 B2 W4 | |
| Canada Goose | R2 B1 W3 | |
| Barnacle Goose | W1 | |
| Brent Goose | W4 P5 | |
| Egyptian Goose | V | |
| Shelduck | R4 B4 P4 | |
| Mandarin Duck | V | |
| Wigeon | P3 W4 | |
| American Wigeon | V | |
| Gadwall | R3 B1 W4 | |
| Teal | R3 B1 P4 W4 | |
| Green-winged Teal | V | |
| Mallard | R4 B4 P4 W5 | |
| Pintail | P1 W3 B1 | |
| Garganey | P2 S2 B1 | |
| Blue-winged Teal | V | |
| Shoveler | P3 W3 B1 | |
| Red-crested Pochard | V | |
| Pochard | R1 B1 W4 | |
| Ferruginous Duck | V | |
| Tufted Duck | R4 B3 P3 W4 | |
| Scaup | W1 | |
| Common Eider | S2 W3 | |
| Long-tailed Duck | W1 | |
| Common Scoter | P3 W3 | |
| Velvet Scoter | P1 W1 | |
| Goldeneye | P2 W2 | |
| Smew | W1 | |
| Red-breasted Merganser | P2 W3 | |
| Goosander | W1 | |
| Ruddy Duck | S1 B1 W1 | |
| Honey Buzzard | P1 | |
| Black Kite | V | |
| Red Kite | P1 | |
| Marsh Harrier | P3 W2 | |
| Hen Harrier | P3 W3 | |
| Montagu's Harrier | P1 S1 | |
| Goshawk | V | |
| Sparrowhawk | R4 B4 P4 W4 | |
| Common Buzzard | P3 | |
| Rough-legged Buzzard | W1 | |
| Osprey | P1 | |
| Kestrel | R4 B4 P4 | |
| Red-footed Falcon | V | |
| Merlin | P3 W3 | |
| Hobby | P3 S4 | |
| Peregrine | R3 W3 | |
| Red-legged Partridge | R2 | |
| Grey Partridge | R4 B4 | |
| Quail | S1 B1 P2 | |
| Pheasant | R4 B4 | |
| Water Rail | R1 B1 W3 P3 | |
| Spotted Crake | V | |
| Baillon's Crake | X | |
| Corncrake | V | |
| Moorhen | R4 B4 W5 | |
| Coot | R4 B4 W4 | |
| Common Crane | V | |
| Oystercatcher | R4 B4 W5 | |
| Avocet | P3 W2 | |
| Stone Curlew | V | |
| Cream-coloured Courser | X | |
| Collared Pratincole | V | |
| Black-winged Pratincole | V | |
| Little Ringed Plover | P3 B1 | |
| Ringed Plover | R4 W4 P4 B4 | |
| Kentish Plover | P1 | |
| Dotterel | P1 | |
| American Golden Plover | V | |
| Pacific Golden Plover | V | |
| Golden Plover | W5 P4 | |
| Grey Plover | W5 P4 | |
| Sociable Plover | V | |
| Lapwing | B4 R4 W5 P5 | |
| Knot | W4 P4 | |
| Sanderling | W4 P4 | |
| Little Stint | P3 W1 | |
| Temminck's Stint | P1 | |
| Least Sandpiper | V | |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | V | |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | V | |
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | V | |
| Curlew Sandpiper | P3 | |
| Baird's Sandpiper | V | |
| Purple Sandpiper | W1 | |
| Dunlin | W5 P4 | |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | V | |
| Buff-breasted Sandpiper | V | |
| Ruff | W3 P3 | |
| Jack Snipe | W2 P2 | |
| Common Snipe | R3 W4 P3 | |
| Long-billed Dowitcher | V | |
| Woodcock | W3 P3 | |
| Black-tailed Godwit | W1 P3 |
Black-tailed Godwit |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | W4 P4 | |
| Whimbrel | P4 | |
| Curlew | R4 W4 P4 | |
| Spotted Redshank | W2 P3 | |
| Common Redshank | R4 W4 P4 B3 | |
| Greenshank | P4 W1 | |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | V | |
| Green Sandpiper | W2 P4 | |
| Wood Sandpiper | P2 | |
| Terek Sandpiper | V | |
| Common Sandpiper | W1 P4 | |
| Turnstone | W4 P3 | |
| Red-necked Phalarope | V | |
| Grey Phalarope | V | |
| Pomarine Skua | P2 | |
| Arctic Skua | P3 | |
| Long-tailed Skua | V | |
| Great Skua | P2 | |
| Mediterranean Gull | R3 S3 W2 | |
| Laughing Gull | V |  Little Gull |
| Little Gull | P3 W1 | |
| Sabine's Gull | V | |
| Black-headed Gull | R4 W5 P5 | |
| Ring-billed Gull | V | |
| Common Gull | R3 W5 P5 | |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | S4 W4 P4 | |
| Herring Gull | S4 W5 P4 | |
| Yellow-legged Gull | W1 P2 | |
| Iceland Gull | W1 | |
| Glaucous Gull | W2 | |
| Great Black-backed Gull | R4 W5 P4 | |
| Kittiwake | P4 W3 | |
| Ivory Gull | X | |
| Gull-billed Tern | V | |
| Caspian Tern | V | |
| Royal Tern | V | |
| Lesser Crested Tern | V | |
| Sandwich Tern | S4 W2 P4 | |
| Roseate Tern | P2 | |
| Common Tern | S2 B1 P4 | |
| Arctic Tern | P2 | |
| Little Tern | S4 B1 P4 | |
| Black Tern | P3 | |
| White-winged Black Tern | V | |
| Guillemot | P2 W3 | |
| Razorbill | P1 W2 | |
| Black Guillemot | V | |
| Little Auk | P2 | |
| Puffin | V | |
| Feral Pigeon | R5 | |
| Stock Dove | R4 B4 W4 | |
| Woodpigeon | R4 B4 P4 W5 | |
| Collared Dove | R5 B5 P3 W5 | |
| Turtle Dove | S4 P4 B3 | |
| Ring-necked Parakeet | R3 | |
| Great Spotted Cuckoo | V | |
| Cuckoo | S4 P4 B4 | |
| Barn Owl | R3 B2 |  Short-eared Owl |
| Little Owl | R3 B3 W3 | |
| Tawny Owl | R2 B1 | |
| Long-eared Owl | R2 B1 W2 P3 | |
| Short-eared Owl | S1 B1 W4 P4 | |
| Nightjar | V | |
| Common Swift | S4 P5 | |
| Alpine Swift | V | |
| Common Kingfisher | R3 B1 W3 | |
| European Bee-eater | V | |
| Hoopoe | P1 | |
| Wryneck | P2 | |
| Green Woodpecker | R4 B4 W4 | |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | R4 B3 P4 | |
| Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | R1 | |
| Short toed lark | V | |
| Woodlark | P1 | |
| Skylark | R5 P5 B4 W5 | |
| Shorelark | W1 P1 | |
| Sand Martin | S4 B3 P5 | |
| Swallow | S5 B4 P5 | |
| Red-rumped Swallow | V | |
| House Martin | S5 B5 P5 | |
| Richard's Pipit | P1 | |
| Tawny Pipit | P1 | |
| Olive-backed Pipit | V | |
| Tree Pipit | P3 | |
| Meadow Pipit | R5 W5 B5 P5 | |
| Red-throated Pipit | V | |
| Rock Pipit | W4 P2 S1 | |
| Water Pipit | W2 P2 | |
| Yellow Wagtail | S5 P5 B4 | |
| Citrine Wagtail | V | |
| Grey Wagtail | P3 W3 | |
| Pied Wagtail | R4 P4 B3 | |
| Waxwing | V | |
| White-throated Dipper | V | |
| Wren | R5 W5 P4 B5 | |
| Dunnock | R5 W5 P4 B5 | |
| Robin | R5 W5 P4 B5 | |
| Thrush Nightingale | V | |
| Nightingale | P3 S3 B1 | |
| Bluethroat | P1 | |
| Red-flanked Bluetail | V | |
| Black Redstart | W2 P3 | |
| Common Redstart | P3 | |
| Whinchat | P3 | |
| Stonechat | R3 P3 B2 W3 | |
| Wheatear | S3 P4 B1 | |
| Swainson's Thrush | V | |
| Ring Ouzel | P3 | |
| Blackbird | R5 W5 P5 B5 | |
| Fieldfare | W4 P4 S1 | |
| Song Thrush | R4 W4 P5 B4 | Aquatic Warbler  |
| Redwing | W4 P4 B1 | |
| Mistle Thrush | R4 B4 | |
| Cetti's Warbler | P1 B2 | |
| Grasshopper Warbler | P3 B1 | |
| Aquatic Warbler | V | |
| Sedge Warbler | S4 P5 B4 | |
| Marsh Warbler | P1 | |
| Reed Warbler | S5 P5 B5 | |
| Great Reed Warbler | V | |
| Eastern Olivaceous Warbler | V | |
| Icterine Warbler | P1 | |
| Melodious Warbler | V | |
| Dartford Warbler | W1 P1 | |
| Subalpine Warbler | V | |
| Sardinian Warbler | V | |
| Barred Warbler | P1 | |
| Lesser Whitethroat | S3 P4 B2 | |
| Common Whitethroat | S4 P4 B4 |
Pallas's Warbler |
| Garden Warbler | S3 P4 B2 | |
| Blackcap | S4 P5 B4 | |
| Greenish Warbler | V | |
| Arctic Warbler | V | |
| Pallas's Warbler | P1 | |
| Yellow Browed Warbler | P2 | |
| Radde's Warbler | V | |
| Dusky Warbler | V | |
| Western Bonelli's Warbler | V | |
| Wood Warbler | P2 | |
| Chiffchaff | S4 W3 P5 B2 | |
| Willow Warbler | S3 P5 B2 | |
| Goldcrest | W3 P4 | |
| Firecrest | W3 P4 | |
| Spotted Flycatcher | S2 P3 | |
| Red-breasted Flycatcher | P1 | |
| Pied Flycatcher | P4 | |
| Bearded Tit | W2 P2 | |
| Long-tailed Tit | R4 P4 B3 | |
| Marsh Tit | V | |
| Willow Tit | V | |
| Coal Tit | P3 | |
| Blue Tit | R5 P4 B4 | |
| Great Tit | R5 P4 B4 | |
| Nuthatch | R1 | |
| Common Treecreeper | R2 | |
| Short-toed Treecreeper | V | Red-backed Shrike  |
| Penduline Tit | V | |
| Golden Oriole | P2 S1 | |
| Isabelline Shrike | V | |
| Red-backed Shrike | P2 | |
| Lesser Grey Shrike | V | |
| Great Grey Shrike | W1 P1 | |
| Woodchat Shrike | V | |
| Jay | R3 P3 B3 | |
| Magpie | R5 B5 W5 | |
| Nutcracker | V | |
| Jackdaw | R5 P4 B5 | |
| Rook | R4 P4 B5 | |
| Carrion Crow | R5 B5 | |
| Hooded Crow | V | |
| Raven | V | |
| Starling | R5 W5 P5 B5 | |
| Rose-coloured Starling | V | |
| House Sparrow | R5 B5 W5 | |
| Tree Sparrow | P3 W3 | |
| Chaffinch | R4 W4 P5 B3 | |
| Brambling | W3 P3 | |
| Serin | V | |
| Greenfinch | R5 W5 P5 B5 | |
| Goldfinch | R4 P5 B4 W3 | |
| Siskin | W2 P4 | |
| Linnet | R4 W3 P5 B5 | |
| Twite | W3 | |
| Common Redpoll | P1 | |
| Lesser Redpoll | P3 | |
| Common Crossbill | P1 | |
| Parrot Crossbill | V |  Reed Bunting |
| Common Rosefinch | V | |
| Bullfinch | R2 P2 B1 | |
| Hawfinch | V | |
| Lapland Bunting | W2 P2 | |
| Snow Bunting | W3 P2 | |
| Yellowhammer | R3 W4 B1 | |
| Ortolan Bunting | V | |
| Little Bunting | V | |
| Reed Bunting | R4 W4 B4 | |
| Black-headed Bunting | V | |
| Corn Bunting | R4 W4 B4 |
