Category:Shetland Birds

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia that anyone can edit

Shetland Birds

If you want to see the photograph only then click on the image below to enlarge.

If you want more information about a specific bird, click on the name listed below.

Historical Information

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.

External link

• Shetland Bird Club,s website.
• Latest Shetland bird sightings
• Bobby Tulloch's 'Birds photographed in Shetland'. - With Shetland names