Ayrshire Species List

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.
  • If the species has a map showing its status in the Ayrshire Breeding Birds Survey 1991-97 then it will have an icon. Click on this icon to view the map.
  • 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.
  • 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 for easy reference and don’t need them repeated here (especially as they keep changing).
  • If the species name is a link 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 feedback.
  1. Brent Goose (Dark-bellied race) Branta bernicla bernicla A
  2. Brent Goose (Pale-bellied race) Branta bernicla hrota U w p
  3. Canada Goose Branta canadensis C B P
  4. Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis U w P
  5. Ross's Goose Anser rossi
  6. Snow Goose Anser caerulescens R E §
  7. Greylag Goose Anser anser C b W
  8. Bean Goose (Taiga race) Anser fabalis fabalis R w P
  9. Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus C w P
  10. Bean Goose (Tundra race) Anser fabalis rossicus A §
  11. White-fronted Goose (Eurasian race) Anser albifrons albifrons A
  12. White-fronted Goose (Greenland race) Anser albifrons flavirostris U w P
  13. Mute Swan Cygnus olor C B
  14. Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii U w P
  15. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus C w p
  16. Shelduck Tadorna tadorna C B
  17. Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea E
  18. Mandarin Aix galericulata E
  19. Garganey Anas querquedula U (B) §
  20. Shoveler Anas clypeata C b w P
  21. Gadwall Anas strepera C (B)
  22. Wigeon Anas penelope C (B) W p
  23. American Wigeon Anas americana R w p §
  24. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos C B W
  25. Northern Pintail Anas acuta U w P
  26. Eurasian Teal Anas crecca C B W p
  27. Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis R w §
  28. Red-crested Pochard Netta ruffina A/E §
  29. Pochard Aythya ferina C (B) W
  30. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca A
  31. Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris R w p
  32. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula C B W p
  33. Greater Scaup Aythya marila C W p
  34. Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis A §
  35. King Eider Somateria spectabilis R §
  36. Common Eider Somateria mollissima C B
  37. Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus A §
  38. Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata A §
  39. Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca U W p §
  40. Common Scoter Melanitta nigra C W P
  41. Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis U W p
  42. Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula C W p
  43. Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica A §
  44. Smew Mergellus albellus U W §
  45. Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus A
  46. Goosander Mergus merganser C b w
  47. Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator C b p
  48. Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis U p
  49. Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus C B
  50. Ptarmigan Lagopus mutus A FB
  51. Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus A
  52. Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix C B
  53. Grey Partridge Perdix perdix C b
  54. Pheasant Phasianus colchicus C E B
  55. Common Quail Coturnix coturnix U S (B) §
  56. Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa C E b
  57. European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus R FB
  58. Alpine Swift Apus melba A
  59. Common Swift Apus apus C B S p
  60. Great Bustard Otis tarda A
  61. Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus C B S p
  62. Pallas’s Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus A
  63. Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon Columba livia C B
  64. Stock Dove Columba oenas C B w
  65. Woodpigeon Columba palumbus C B W
  66. Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur U s P
  67. Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto C B
  68. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus C b W
  69. Corncrake Crex crex U (B) P §
  70. Spotted Crake Porzana porzana R p
  71. Moorhen Gallinula chloropus C B
  72. Eurasian Coot Fulica atra C B p
  73. Little Crake Porzana parva A
  74. Crane Grus grus A
  75. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis C B
  76. Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena U W §
  77. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus C b p
  78. Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus U W §
  79. Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis R P< §
  80. Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus C B W P
  81. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta A §
  82. Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus C B W P
  83. European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria C B w P
  84. American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica R P §
  85. Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola U w P
  86. Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula C B W P
  87. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius R P
  88. Killdeer Charadrius vociferus A
  89. Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus U (B) s P §
  90. Eurasian Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus C P
  91. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata C B W P
  92. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica C W P
  93. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa C w P
  94. Turnstone Arenaria interpres C W s P
  95. Knot Calidris canutus C W P
  96. Ruff Philomachus pugnax U P
  97. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea U P
  98. Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii R P
  99. Sanderling Calidris alba C w P
  100. Dunlin Calidris alpina C b W P
  101. Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima C W P
  102. Little Stint Calidris minuta U P
  103. White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis A
  104. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis A
  105. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos R P
  106. Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus A
  107. Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola C B W P
  108. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus C w P
  109. Great Snipe Gallinago media A
  110. Snipe Gallinago gallinago C B w P
  111. Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor A
  112. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus A
  113. Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius U w p
  114. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleuca
  115. Spotted Sandpiper Acitis macularia A
  116. Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus U w P §
  117. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes A
  118. Redshank Tringa totanus C b W P
  119. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis A
  120. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola U P §
  121. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus U w P §
  122. Greenshank Tringa nebularia C W P
  123. Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla C B w P
  124. Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea A
  125. Sabine’s Gull Xema sabini U P §
  126. Black-headed Gull Croicocephalus ridibundus C B W
  127. Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus U P §
  128. Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea A §
  129. Laughing Gull Larus atricilla A
  130. Franklin’s Gull Larus pipixcan A
  131. Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus C W P (§ immatures only)
  132. Common Gull Larus canus C B W
  133. Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis R P § ‡
  134. Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus C B W P
  135. Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus U W P
  136. Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides C W P § (‡kumlieni only)
  137. Herring Gull Larus argentatus C B W
  138. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis A § ‡
  139. Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus C B S p
  140. Caspian Tern Sterna caspia A
  141. Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis C (B) S P
  142. Little Tern Sternula albifrons U (b) S p
  143. Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus A
  144. Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii R FB s P §
  145. Common Tern Sterna hirundo C (B) s P
  146. Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea C B S P
  147. Black Tern Chlidonias niger U P §
  148. Great Skua Stercorarius skua C S w P
  149. Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus R P (§ immatures only)
  150. Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus C s P
  151. Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus U P §
  152. Little Auk Alle alle U W §
  153. Common Guillemot Uria aalge C B w p
  154. Razorbill Alca torda C B w p
  155. Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle C B w p
  156. Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica C B S p
  157. Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata C FB W P
  158. Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica C(B) W P
  159. Great Northern Diver Gavia immer C W P
  160. White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii A
  161. European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus C FB S p
  162. Leach’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa U P §
  163. Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis C B P
  164. Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea R P ‡
  165. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus U P §
  166. Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis A ‡
  167. Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus C S P
  168. Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus U S P §
  169. White Stork Ciconia ciconia A E
  170. Northern Gannet Morus bassanus C B p
  171. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo C B p
  172. Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis C B w
  173. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus A
  174. European Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia R P §
  175. Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris R FB
  176. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus A
  177. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax A §
  178. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea CB w
  179. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea A
  180. Great Egret Ardea alba A
  181. Snowy Egret Egretta thula A
  182. Little Egret Egretta garzetta U S p
  183. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis A
  184. Osprey Pandion haliaetus U P §
  185. European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus R P
  186. Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos U (B) §
  187. Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus C B p
  188. Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis U b
  189. Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus U P (B) §
  190. Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus U b p
  191. Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus A
  192. Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus A
  193. Red Kite Milvus milvus U FB §
  194. Black Kite Milvus migrans A
  195. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla A FB
  196. Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus R W § ‡
  197. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo C B p
  198. Barn Owl Tyto alba C B
  199. Little Owl Athene noctua A §
  200. Long-eared Owl Asio otus U b w §
  201. Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus C b W P
  202. Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus A
  203. Tawny Owl Strix aluco C B
  204. European Hoopoe Upupa epops R P §
  205. European Roller Coracias garrulus A §
  206. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis U b p
  207. European Bee-eater Merops apiaster A
  208. European Wryneck Jynx torquilla A §
  209. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major C B
  210. Green Woodpecker Picus viridis U (B)
  211. Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus C B p
  212. Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus A
  213. Merlin Falco columbarius C b W p
  214. Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo U P §
  215. Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus A
  216. Peregrine Falco peregrinus C b p
  217. Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri R E
  218. Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio R P §
  219. Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor A
  220. Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor U w P §
  221. Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator A §
  222. Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus A §
  223. Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius C B
  224. Eurasian Magpie Pica pica C B
  225. Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax A FB §
  226. Western Jackdaw Corvus monedula C B w
  227. Rook Corvus frugilegus C B
  228. Carrion Crow Corvus corone C B
  229. Hooded Crow Corvus cornix U (B) w P
  230. Northern Raven Corvus corax C B
  231. Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus U W P §
  232. Coal Tit Periparus ater C B
  233. Marsh Tit Poecile palustris A §
  234. Willow Tit Poecile montanus U b §
  235. Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus C B
  236. Great Tit Parus major C B
  237. Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis C B W P
  238. Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris A §
  239. Sand Martin Riparia riparia C B S p
  240. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica C B S p
  241. House Martin Delichon urbicum C B S p
  242. Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti A ‡
  243. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus C B
  244. Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix U b S p
  245. Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus A
  246. Pallas's Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus A ‡
  247. Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus C B S P
  248. Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita C B S w p
  249. Common (Siberian) Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis A
  250. Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus C B S p
  251. Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scripaceus A
  252. Common Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia C B S p
  253. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla C B S w p
  254. Garden Warbler Sylvia borin C B S p
  255. Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata A
  256. Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca U b
  257. Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis C B S p
  258. Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus A §
  259. Goldcrest Regulus regulus C B p
  260. Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes C B
  261. Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea C b
  262. Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris C B
  263. Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus R P ‡
  264. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris C B W p
  265. Song Thrush Turdus philomelos C B w p
  266. Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus C B W p
  267. Redwing Turdus iliacus C W P
  268. Common Blackbird Turdus merula C B W p
  269. Fieldfare Turdus pilaris C W P
  270. Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus U FB s p
  271. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata C B S p
  272. European Robin Erithacus rubecula C B W p
  273. Bluethroat Luscinia svecica A §
  274. Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca U FB s P
  275. Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus U W p
  276. Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus C B S p
  277. Whinchat Saxicola rubetra C B S p
  278. European Stonechat Saxicola torquata hibernans C B
  279. Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus A
  280. Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe C B S P
  281. Northern (Greenland) Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe leucorrhoa C P
  282. Dipper Cinclus cinclus C B
  283. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus C B
  284. House Sparrow Passer domesticus C B
  285. Dunnock Prunella modularis C B
  286. Yellow Wagtail (British race) Motacilla flava flavissima U (B) S p
  287. Yellow Wagtail (Blue-headed race) Motacilla flava flava A
  288. Yellow Wagtail (Grey-headed race) Motacilla flava thunbergi A
  289. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea C B S w P
  290. White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba C s P
  291. Pied Wagtail (British/West European race) Motacilla alba yarrellii C B W
  292. Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi C B S p
  293. Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis C B P w
  294. Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis C B S p
  295. Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta U W p § ‡
  296. Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus petrosus C B p
  297. Rock Pipit (Scandinavian race) Anthus petrosus littoralis R P
  298. Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs C B W
  299. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla U W p
  300. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes A
  301. Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula C B
  302. Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus A §
  303. European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris C B W
  304. Twite Carduelis flavirostris C b W
  305. Linnet Carduelis cannabina C B w
  306. Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea U P §
  307. Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret C B S p
  308. Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra C B p
  309. European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis C B
  310. Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinus C B W p
  311. Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus R w P
  312. Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis U W p
  313. Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra U FB
  314. Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella C B
  315. Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus A ‡
  316. Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla A ‡
  317. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus C B
  318. Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala A §

Escapes

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

Key to Symbols

Key Meaning
A Accidental (< 5 records ever)
R Rare (5-20 records ever)
U Uncommon (< 20 records per year)
C Common (>e; 20 records per year)
B Common breeding species
b Uncommon breeding species
(B) Casual or occasional breeder
FB Former breeder
S Summer visitor (s = less regularly)
W Winter visitor (w = less regularly)
P Passage migrant (p = less regularly)
E Introduced or escaped
§ Written details may be required for Ayrshire Birds Records Committee
Written details may be required for Scottish Birds Records Committee