Birds in Shetland in the late 1940's
During their research Venables & Venables recorded the following species of birds in Shetland in the late 1940's. (Passage-migrants and vagrants excluded).
Summer Breeding Birds
Regular and common: Raven; Hooded Crow; Starling; House Sparrow; Twite; Corn Bunting; Skylark; Meadow Pipit; Rock Pipit; Song Thrush; Blackbird; Wheatear; Wren; Peregrine; Merlin; Kestrel: Cormorant; Shag; Gannet; Sheld-duck; Mallard; Teal; Eider; Common Scoter; Merganser; Corncrake; Moorhen; Red-necked Phalrope (only in a few localities); Snipe; Dunlin; Redshank; Common Sandpiper; Curlew; Whimbrel; Golden Plover; Ringed Plover; Lapwing; Oyster Catcher; Common Gull; Herring Gull; Greater Black-backed Gull; Lesser Black-backed Gull; Black-headed Gull; Kittiwake; Common Tern; Great Skua; Arctic Skua; Razorbill; Guillemot; Black Guillemot; Puffin; Storm Petrel; Manx Shearwater; Fulmar; Red-throated Diver; Rock Dove and Red Grouse (introduced).
Irregular or rare: Jackdaw (one locality only); Tree Sparrow (only recently extinct); Chaffinch; Reed Bunting; White Wagtail; Blackcap; Redwing (recorded once); Swallow; House Martin; Long-eared Owl (recorded once); Short-eared Owl; Mute Swan (was introduced, only single birds remaining); Wigeon; Pintail; Coot (rapidly decreasing); Black-tailed Godwit; Wood Pigeon (recorded once) and Quail.
Overwintering Birds
Regular and common: Raven; Hooded Crow; Jackdaw; Starling; House Sparrow; Chaffinch; Mealy Redpoll; Twite; Bullfinch; Corn Bunting; Snow Bunting; Skylark; Meadow Pipit; Rock Pipit; Redwing; Fieldfare; Blackbird; Robin; Wren; Long-eared Owl; Peregrine; Merlin; Cormorant; Shag; Whooper Swan; Mallard; Teal; Wigeon; Pochard; Scaup; Tufted Duck; Golden-eye; Long-tailed Duck; Eider; Velvet Scoter; Merganser; Heron; Water Rail; Moorhen; Coot; Woodcock; Snipe; Purple Sandpiper; Dunlin; Redshank; Curlew; Goilden Plover; Ringed Plover; Lapwing; Turnstone; Oyster Catcher; Common Gull; Herring Gull; Greater Black-backed Gull; Glaucous Gull; Black-headed Gull; Razorbill (in considerably reduced numbers to previously); Guillemot (in considerably reduced numbers to previously); Black Guillemot; Little Auk; Fulmar; Great Northern Diver; Red-necked Grebe; Little Grebe; Rock Dove and Red Grouse (introduced).
Irregular or rare: Rook; Siskin; Tree Sparrow (only recently extinct); Brambling; Yellow Bunting; Goldcrest (only within the vicinity of trees); Song Thrush (breeding birds do not overwinter); Hedge Sparrow; Gannet; Grey-lag Goose; Mute Swan (introduced); Common Scoter; Goosander; Smew; Jack Snipe; Bar-tailed Godwit; Iceland Gull; Kittiwake; Puffin; Red-throated Diver and Wood Pigeon.
