Ayrshire Birding

This page lists all the species on the Ayrshire list. Included is an indication of their current status in the county. A key to the status symbols appears at the end of the article. A separate page shows a summary of those species with fewer than 20 sightings in Ayrshire with a breakdown of sightings into pre-1966, 1966-1982, and 1982-2001, as well as a total count.  The list was revised in autumn 2011 to bring it up-to-date with recent sightings and a few enhancements:

• Each entry may have a coloured icon giving the trend in how this species is doing in the country. means things are looking good;means things are looking bad; no icon means there is no real change or insufficient data.  This is a very rough, subjective indicator to give a quick gestalt of the species status in Ayrshire.
• For those odd people who like sub-species, the list now has separate entries for the different races of species.
• The status codes have been updated to reflect the current state: those that have been changed are highlighted in red.
• The list is now arranged into the sort du jour favoured by the people with PhDs in Ornitholgical Taxonomy.  (Ed.: personally I think this regular reshuffle is just a way for these people to keep their jobs - it seems pretty unintuitive to me!)  This was a horrendous edit and I'm sure I've messed up somewhere so please let me know where and I'll feign interest. 
• One thing that didn't make it into the new table is the species' BOU category. (Angus added them, but the Editor's decision is final.) If these codes are of interest to you then I assume you already have the BOU web site on your favourites fo easy reference and don't need them repeated here (especially as they keep changing).
• If the species name has an underscore then it means we have a photo of it.  Click on the name to see it.
• This is a work-in-progress and we'd like your This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

1. Mute Swan Cygnus olor C B
2. Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii U w P
3. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus C w p
4. Bean Goose (Taiga race) Anser fabalis fabalis R w P
5. Bean Goose (Tundra race) Anser fabalis rossicus A §
6. Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus C w P
7. White-fronted Goose (Greenland race) Anser albifrons flavirostris U w P
8. White-fronted Goose (Eurasian race) Anser albifrons albifrons A
9. Greylag Goose Anser anser C b W
10. Snow Goose Anser caerulescens R/E §
11. Canada Goose Branta canadensis C B P
12. Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis U w P
13. Brent Goose (Pale-bellied race) Branta bernicla hrota U w p
14. Brent Goose (Dark-bellied race) Branta bernicla bernicla A
15. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea A
16. Shelduck Tadorna tadorna C B
17. Mandarin Aix galericulata A
18. Wigeon Anas penelope C (B) W p
19. American Wigeon Anas americana R w p §
20. Gadwall Anas strepera C (B)
21. Teal Anas crecca C B W p
22. Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis R w §
23. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos C B W
24. Pintail Anas acuta U w P
25. Garganey Anas querquedula U (B) §
26. Shoveler Anas clypeata C b w P
27. Red-crested Pochard Netta ruffina A/E §
28. Pochard Aythya ferina C (B) W
29. Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris R w p
30. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca A
31. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula C B W p
32. Scaup Aythya marila C W p
33. Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis A §
34. Eider Somateria mollissima C B
35. King Eider Somateria spectabilis R §
36. Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus A §
37. Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis U W p
38. Common Scoter Melanitta nigra C W P
39. Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata A §
40. Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca U W p §
41. Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica A §
42. Goldeneye Bucephala clangula C W p
43. Smew Mergellus albellus U W §
44. Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator C b p
45. Goosander Mergus merganser C b w
46. Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis U p
47. Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus C B
48. Ptarmigan Lagopus mutus A FB
49. Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix C B
50. Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus A
51. Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa C E b
52. Grey Partridge Perdix perdix C b
53. Quail Coturnix coturnix U S (B) §
54. Pheasant Phasianus colchicus C E B
55. Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata C FB W P
56. Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica C(B) W P
57. Great Northern Diver Gavia immer C W P
58. White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii A
59. Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis C B P
60. Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea R P ‡
61. Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis A ‡
62. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus U P §
63. Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus C S P
64. Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus U S P §
65. Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus C FB S p
66. Leach’s Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa U P §
67. Gannet Morus bassanus C B p
68. Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo C B p
69. Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis C B w
70. Bittern Botaurus stellaris R FB
71. American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus A
72. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus A
73. Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax A §
74. Snowy Egret Egretta thula A
75. Little Egret Egretta garzetta U S p
76. Great White Egret Ardea alba A
77. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea CB w
78. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea A
79. White Stork Ciconia ciconia A E
80. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus A
81. Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia R P §
82. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis C B
83. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus C b p
84. Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena U W §
85. Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus U W §
86. Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis R P §
87. Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus R P
88. Black Kite Milvus migrans A
89. Red Kite Milvus milvus U FB §
90. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla A FB
91. Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus U P (B) §
92. Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus U b p
93. Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus A
94. Goshawk Accipiter gentilis U b
95. Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus C B p
96. Buzzard Buteo buteo C B p
97. Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus R W § ‡
98. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos U (B) §
99. Osprey Pandion haliaetus U P §
100. Kestrel Falco tinnunculus C B p
101. Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus A
102. Merlin Falco columbarius C b W p
103. Hobby Falco subbuteo U P §
104. Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus A
105. Peregrine Falco peregrinus C b p
106. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus C b W
107. Spotted Crake Porzana porzana R p
108. Little Crake Porzana parva A
109. Corncrake Crex crex U (B) P §
110. Moorhen Gallinula chloropus C B
111. Coot Fulica atra C Bp
112. Crane Grus grus A
113. Great Bustard Otis tarda A
114. Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus C B W P
115. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta A §
116. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius R P
117. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula C B W P
118. Killdeer Charadrius vociferus A
119. Dotterel Charadrius morinellus U (B) s P §
120. American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica R P §
121. Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria C B w P
122. Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola U w P
123. Lapwing Vanellus vanellus C B W P
124. Knot Calidris canutus C W P
125. Sanderling Calidris alba C w P
126. Little Stint Calidris minuta U P
127. Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii R P
128. White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis A
129. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos R P
130. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea U P
131. Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima C W P
132. Dunlin Calidris alpina C b W P
133. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis A
134. Ruff Philomachus pugnax U P
135. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus C w P
136. Snipe Gallinago gallinago C B w P
137. Great Snipe Gallinago media A
138. Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus A
139. Woodcock Scolopax rusticola C B W P
140. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa C w P
141. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica C W P
142. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus C P
143. Curlew Numenius arquata C B W P
144. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleuca C B P
145. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus U w P §
146. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus U w P §
147. Greenshank Tringa nebularia C W P
148. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes A
149. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis A
150. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola U P §
151. Redshank Tringa totanus C b W P
152. Turnstone Arenaria interpres C W s P
153. Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor A
154. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus A
155. Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius U w p
156. Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus R P (§ immatures only)
157. Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus C s P
158. Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus U P §
159. Great Skua Stercorarius skua C S w P
160. Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea A
161. Sabine’s Gull Xema sabini U P §
162. Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla C B w P
163. Black-headed Gull Croicocephalus ridibundus C B W
164. Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus U P §
165. Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea A §
166. Laughing Gull Larus atricilla A
167. Franklin's Gull Larus pipixcan A
168. Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus C W P (§ immatures only)
169. Common Gull Larus canus C B W
170. Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis R P § ‡
171. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus C B S p
172. Herring Gull Larus argentatus C B W
173. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis A § ‡
174. Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides C W P § (‡kumlieni only)
175. Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus U W P
176. Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus C B W P
177. Little Tern Sternula albifrons U (b) S p
178. Caspian Tern Sterna caspia A
179. Black Tern Chlidonias niger U P §
180. Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis C (B) S P
181. Common Tern Sterna hirundo C (B) s P
182. Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii R FB s P §
183. Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea C B S P
184. Guillemot Uria aalge C B w p
185. Razorbill Alca torda C B w p
186. Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle C B w p
187. Little Auk Alle alle U W §
188. Puffin Fratercula arctica C B S p
189. Pallas's Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus A
190. Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon Columba livia C B
191. Stock Dove Columba oenas C B w
192. Woodpigeon Columba palumbus C B W
193. Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto C B
194. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur U s P
195. Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri R E
196. Cuckoo Cuculus canorus C B S p
197. Barn Owl Tyto alba C B
198. Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus A
199. Little Owl Athene noctua A §
200. Tawny Owl Strix aluco C B
201. Long-eared Owl Asio otus U b w §
202. Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus C b W P
203. Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus R FB
204. Swift Apus apus C B S p
205. Alpine Swift Apus melba A
206. Kingfisher Alcedo atthis U b p
207. Bee-eater Merops apiaster A
208. Roller Coracias garrulus A §
209. Hoopoe Upupa epops R P §
210. Wryneck Jynx torquilla A §
211. Green Woodpecker Picus viridis U (B)
212. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major C B
213. Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus A §
214. Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio R P §
215. Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor A
216. Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor U w P §
217. Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator A §
218. Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax A FB §
219. Magpie Pica pica C B
220. Jay Garrulus glandarius C B
221. Jackdaw Corvus monedula C B w
222. Rook Corvus frugilegus C B
223. Carrion Crow Corvus corone C B
224. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix U (B) w P
225. Raven Corvus corax C B
226. Goldcrest Regulus regulus C B p
227. Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus A §
228. Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus C B
229. Great Tit Parus major C B
230. Coal Tit Periparus ater C B
231. Willow Tit Poecile montanus U b §
232. Marsh Tit Poecile palustris A §
233. Skylark Alauda arvensis C B W P
234. Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris A §
235. Sand Martin Riparia riparia C B S p
236. Swallow Hirundo rustica C B S p
237. House Martin Delichon urbicum C B S p
238. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus C B
239. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus A
240. Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix U b S p
241. Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita C B S w p
242. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus C B S P
243. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla C B S w p
244. Garden Warbler Sylvia borin C B S p
245. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca U b
246. Whitethroat Sylvia communis C B S p
247. Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia C B S p
248. Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus C B S p
249. Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scripaceus A
250. Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus U W P §
251. Nuthatch Sitta europaea C b
252. Treecreeper Certhia familiaris C B
253. Wren Troglodytes troglodytes C B
254. Starling Sturnus vulgaris C B W p
255. Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus R P ‡
256. Dipper Cinclus cinclus C B
257. Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus U FB s p
258. Blackbird Turdus merula C B W p
259. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris C W P
260. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos C B w p
261. Redwing Turdus iliacus C W P
262. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus C B W p
263. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata C B S p
264. Robin Erithacus rubecula C B W p
265. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica A §
266. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus U W p
267. Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus C B S p
268. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra C B S p
269. Stonechat (British race) Saxicola torquata hibernans C B
270. Stonechat (Eastern race) Saxicola torquata maurus A
271. Wheatear (British race) Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe C B S P
272. Wheatear (Greenland race) Oenanthe oenanthe leucorrhoa C P
273. Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca U FB s P
274. Dunnock Prunella modularis C B
275. House Sparrow Passer domesticus C B
276. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus C B
277. Yellow Wagtail (British race) Motacilla flava flavissima U (B) S p
278. Yellow Wagtail (Blue-headed race) Motacilla flava flava A
279. Yellow Wagtail (Grey-headed race) Motacilla flava thunbergi A
280. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea C B S w P
281. Pied Wagtail (British race) Motacilla alba yarrellii C B W
282. Pied Wagtail (White Wagtail) Motacilla alba alba C s P
283. Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi C B S p
284. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis C B S p
285. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis C B P w
286. Rock Pipit (British race) Anthus petrosus petrosus C B p
287. Rock Pipit (Scandinavian race) Anthus petrosus littoralis R P
288. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta U W p§ ‡
289. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs C B W
290. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla U W p
291. Greenfinch Carduelis chloris C B W
292. Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis C B
293. Siskin Carduelis spinus C B W p
294. Linnet Carduelis cannabina C B w
295. Twite Carduelis flavirostris C b W
296. Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret C B S p
297. Mealy Redpoll Carduelis flammea U P §
298. Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra C B p
299. Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus A §
300. Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula C B
301. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes A
302. Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis U W p
303. Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus R w P
304. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella C B
305. Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus A ‡
306. Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla A ‡
307. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus C B
308. Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala A §
309. Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra U FB

Escapes

1. Reeves Pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii 
2. Black Swan Cygnus atratus 
3. Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus 
4. Ross’s Goose Anser rossi 
5. Emperor Goose Anser canagicus 
6. Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata 
7. Wood Duck Aix sponsa 
8. Maned Duck Chenonetta jubata 
9. Chiloe Wigeon Anas sibilatrix 
10. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus 
11. Chilean Flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis 
12. Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 
13. Harris's Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus 
14. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 
15. Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus 
16. Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulates 
17. Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo 
18. Kessler’s Thrush Turdus kessleri 
19. Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea 

Key to Symbols