Mallard
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Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 List of British birds 2.1 Anseriformes 2.2 Galliformes 2.3 Gaviiformes 2.4 Podicipediformes 2.5 Procellariiformes 2.6 Pelecaniformes 2.7 Ciconiiformes 2.8 Accipitriformes 2.9 Falconiformes 2.10 Gruiformes 2.11 Charadriiformes 2.11.1 Suborder Charadrii: waders 2.11.2 Suborder Lari: skuas, gulls & terns 2.11.3 Suborder Alcae: auks 2.12 Pterocliformes 2.13 Columbiformes 2.14 Psittaciformes 2.15 Cuculiformes 2.16 Strigiformes 2.17 Caprimulgiformes 2.18 Apodiformes 2.19 Coraciiformes 2.20 Piciformes 2.21 Passeriformes 3 References and links 4 See also

Introduction

The BOU uses the following categories for British bird species:

• A Species which have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since 1 January 1950.
• B Species which were recorded in an apparently natural state at least once up to 31 December 1949, but have not been recorded subsequently.
• C Species that, although originally introduced by man, either deliberately or accidentally, have established breeding populations derived from introduced stock, that maintain themselves without necessary recourse to further introduction.
  • Categories A, B and C constitute the Official British List.
    • Note that birds can be listed in more than one category, e.g. Canada Goose, with a small number of naturally occurring birds (A), and also many introduced birds (C).

• D Species that would otherwise appear in Categories A or B except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state.
• E Species that have been recorded as introductions, transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self sustaining.
  • Birds in Categories D and E are NOT on the Official British List (and are not included here).

Because of its mild winters, Great Britain has a considerable population of wintering species, particularly ducks, geese and swans. There are also a number of species, such as Oystercatcher, which are resident in this island, but migrants elsewhere. Also because of its position, Britain receives a number of vagrants from Asia and North America. Some American gulls, ducks and waders are regular enough not to be considered rare. These include Ring-billed Gull, Surf Scoter and Pectoral Sandpiper; 150 of the latter species were found in Britain in the record month of September 2003, with a further 40 in Ireland.

This page lists the British bird species in the non-passerine families. See List of British birds: passerines for the rest of the list.

List of British birds

Anseriformes

• Anatidae: swans, geese and ducks
  • Mute Swan - Cygnus olor A & C
  • Tundra Swan - Cygnus columbianus A
  • Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus A
  • Bean Goose - Anser fabalis A
  • Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus A
  • White-fronted Goose - Anser albifrons A
  • Lesser White-fronted Goose - Anser erythropus A rare
  • Greylag Goose - Anser anser A & C
  • Snow Goose - Anser caerulescens A most records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Canada Goose - Branta canadensis A & C
  • Barnacle Goose - Branta leucopsis A
  • Brent Goose - Branta bernicla A
  • Red-breasted Goose - Branta ruficollis A rare
  • Egyptian Goose - Alopochen aegyptiaca C
  • Ruddy Shelduck - Tadorna ferruginea B & C many records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Common Shelduck - Tadorna tadorna A
  • Mandarin Duck - Aix galericulata C
  • Wigeon - Anas penelope A
  • American Wigeon - Anas americana A rare
  • Gadwall - Anas strepera A & C
  • Common Teal - Anas crecca A
  • Green-winged Teal - Anas carolinensis A
  • Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos A & C
  • American Black Duck - Anas rubripes A rare
  • Northern Pintail - Anas acuta A
  • Garganey - Anas querquedula A
  • Blue-winged Teal - Anas discors A rare
  • Northern Shoveler - Anas clypeata A
  • Red-crested Pochard - Netta rufina A & C
  • Pochard - Aythya ferina A
  • Redhead - Aythya americana A rare
  • Canvasback - Aythya valisineria A rare
  • Ring-necked Duck - Aythya collaris A
  • Ferruginous Duck - Aythya nyroca A rare many records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Tufted Duck - Aythya fuligula A
  • Greater Scaup - Aythya marila A
  • Lesser Scaup - Aythya affinis A rare
  • Common Eider - Somateria mollissima A
  • King Eider - Somateria spectabilis A rare
  • Steller's Eider - Polysticta stelleri A rare
  • Harlequin Duck - Histrionicus histrionicus A rare
  • Long-tailed Duck - Clangula hyemalis A
  • Common Scoter - Melanitta nigra A
  • Surf Scoter - Melanitta perspicillata A
  • Velvet Scoter - Melanitta fusca A
  • Bufflehead - Bucephala albeola A rare most records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Barrow's Goldeneye - Bucephala islandica A rare most records are presumed escapes from captivity
  • Common Goldeneye - Bucephala clangula A
  • Smew - Mergellus albellus A
  • Red-breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator A
  • Goosander - Mergus merganser A
  • Ruddy Duck - Oxyura jamaicensis C introduced species currently subject to an eradication programme

• Tetraonidae: grouse
  • Red Grouse - Lagopus lagopus scotica A
  • Ptarmigan - Lagopus muta A
  • Eurasian Black Grouse - Tetrao tetrix A
  • Capercaillie - Tetrao urogallus B & C reintroduced
• Phasianidae: partridges, pheasants and quails
  • Red-legged Partridge - Alectoris rufa C
  • Grey Partridge - Perdix perdix A & C
  • Common Quail - Coturnix coturnix A
  • Common Pheasant - Phasanius colchicus C
  • Golden Pheasant - Chrysolophus pictus C
  • Lady Amherst's Pheasant - Chrysolophus amherstiae C

• Gaviidae: divers
  • Red-throated Diver - Gavia stellata A
  • Black-throated Diver - Gavia arctica A
  • Great Northern Diver - Gavia immer A
  • White-billed Diver - Gavia adamsii A rare

• Podicepidae: grebes
  • Pied-billed Grebe - Podilymbus podiceps A rare
  • Little Grebe - Tachybaptus ruficollis A
  • Great Crested Grebe - Podiceps cristatus A
  • Red-necked Grebe - Podiceps grisegena A
  • Slavonian Grebe - Podiceps auritus A
  • Black-necked Grebe - Podiceps nigricollis A

• Diomedeidae: albatrosses
  • Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris A rare
• Procellariidae: fulmar, shearwaters, gadfly and other petrels
  • Northern Fulmar - Fulmarus glacialis A
  • Fea's Petrel - Pterodroma feae A rare
  • Capped Petrel - Pterodroma hasitata B rare
  • Bulwer's Petrel - Bulweria bulwerii A rare
  • Cory's Shearwater - Calonectis diomedea A
  • Great Shearwater - Puffinus gravis A
  • Sooty Shearwater - Puffinus griseus A
  • Manx Shearwater - Puffinus puffinus A
  • Balearic Shearwater - Puffinus mauretanicus A
  • Little Shearwater - Puffinus assimilis A rare
• Hydrobatidae: storm petrels
  • Wilson's Petrel - Oceanites oceanicus A rare (though more regular well offshore)
  • White-faced Petrel - Pelagodroma marina B rare
  • Storm Petrel - Hydrobates pelagicus A
  • Leach's Petrel - Oceanodroma leucorhea A
  • Swinhoe's Petrel - Oceanodroma monorhis A rare
  • Madeiran Petrel - Oceanodroma castro B rare

• Sulidae: gannets
  • Gannet - Morus bassanus A
• Phalacrocoracidae: cormorants
  • Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo A
  • Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus A rare
  • Common Shag - Phalacrocorax aristotelis A
• Fregatidae: frigatebirds
  • Magnificent Frigatebird - Fregata magnificens A rare
  • Ascension Frigatebird - Fregata aquila B rare - one record
• Phaethontidae: tropicbirds
  • Red-billed Tropicbird - Phaeton aetherius A rare

White Stork
Larger version

Ciconiiformes

• Ardeidae: herons and bitterns
  • Bittern - Botaurus stellata A
  • American Bittern - Botaurus lentiginosa A rare
  • Little Bittern - Ixobrychus minutus A rare
  • Night Heron - Nycticorax nycticorax A rare
  • Green Heron - Butorides virescens A rare
  • Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides A rare
  • Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis A rare
  • Little Egret - Egretta garzetta A
  • Snowy Egret - Egretta thula A rare
  • Great White Egret - Ardea alba A rare
  • Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea A
  • Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea A
• Ciconiidae: storks (rare)
  • Black Stork - Ciconia nigra A rare
  • White Stork - Ciconia ciconia A
• Threskiornithidae: ibises and spoonbills
  • Glossy Ibis - Plegadis falcinellus A rare
  • Common Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia A

• Pandionidae: Osprey
  • Osprey - Pandion haliaetus A
• Accipitridae: hawks, eagles, buzzards, harrierss, kitess and allies
  • European Honey Buzzard - Pernis apivorus A
  • Black Kite - Milvus migrans A rare
  • Red Kite - Milvus milvus A & C
  • White-tailed Eagle - Haliaeetus albicilla A & C
  • Egyptian Vulture - Neophron percnopterus B
  • Short-toed Eagle - Circaetus gallicus A rare
  • Marsh Harrier - Circus aeruginosus A
  • Hen Harrier - Circus cyaneus A
  • Pallid Harrier - Circus macrourus A rare
  • Montagu's Harrier - Circus pygargus A
  • Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis A & C
  • Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus A
  • Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo A
  • Rough-legged Buzzard - Buteo lagopus A
  • Greater Spotted Eagle - Aquila clanga B
  • Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos A

• Falconidae: falcons
  • Lesser Kestrel - Falco naumanni A rare
  • Common Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus A
  • American Kestrel - Falco sparverius A rare
  • Red-footed Falcon - Falco vespertinus A rare
  • Merlin - Falco columbarius A
  • Eurasian Hobby - Falco subbuteo A
  • Eleanora's Falcon - Falco eleonorae A rare
  • Gyr Falcon - Falco rusticolus A rare
  • Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus A

• Rallidae: rails and crakes
  • Water Rail - Rallus aquaticus A
  • Spotted Crake - Porzana porzana A
  • Sora - Porzana carolina A rare
  • Little Crake - Porzana parva A rare
  • Baillon's Crake - Porzana pusilla A rare
  • Corn Crake - Crex crex A
  • Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus A
  • Allen's Gallinule - Porphyrio alleni A rare
  • American Purple Gallinule - Porphyrio martinica A rare
  • Coot - Fulica atra A
  • American Coot - Fulica americana A rare
• Gruidae: cranes
  • Common Crane - Grus grus A
  • Sandhill Crane - Grus americana A rare
• Otidae: bustards
  • Little Bustard - Tetrax tetrax A rare
  • Macqueen's Bustard - Chlamydotis macqueenii B rare
  • Great Bustard - Otis tarda A rare

Dunlin

• Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
  • Common Pied Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus A
• Recurvirostridae: avocets and stilts
  • Black-winged Stilt - Himantopus himantopus A rare
  • Avocet - Recurvirostra avosetta A
• Burhinidae: thick-knees
  • Stone Curlew - Burhinus oedicnemus A
• Glareolidae: coursers and pratincoles
  • Cream-coloured Courser - Cursorius cursor A rare rare
  • Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola A rare
  • Oriental Pratincole - Glareola maldivarum A rare
  • Black-winged Pratincole - Glareola nordmanni A rare
• Charadriidae: plovers and lapwings
  • Little Ringed Plover - Charadrius dubius A
  • Ringed Plover - Charadrius hiaticula A
  • Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus A rare
  • Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus A rare
  • Kentish Plover - Charadrius alexandrinus A
  • Lesser Sand Plover - Charadrius mongolus A rare
  • Greater Sand Plover - Charadrius leschenaultii A rare
  • Caspian Plover - Charadrius asiaticus A rare
  • Eurasian Dotterel - Charadrius morinellus A
  • American Golden Plover - Pluvialis dominica A rare
  • Pacific Golden Plover - Pluvialis fulva A rare
  • Golden Plover - Pluvialis apricaria A
  • Grey Plover - Pluvialis squatarola A
  • Sociable Lapwing - Vanellus gregarius A rare
  • White-tailed Lapwing - Vanellus leucurus A rare
  • Lapwing - Vanellus vanellus A
• Scolopacidae: typical waders or shorebirds
  • Great Knot - Calidris tenuirostris A rare
  • Red Knot - Calidris canutus A
  • Sanderling - Calidris alba A
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper - Calidris pusilla A rare
  • Western Sandpiper - Calidris mauri A rare
  • Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis A rare
  • Little Stint - Calidris minuta A
  • Temminck's Stint - Calidris temminckii A
  • Long-toed Stint - Calidris subminuta A rare
  • Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla A rare
  • White-rumped Sandpiper - Calidris fuscicollis A rare
  • Baird's Sandpiper - Calidris bairdii A rare
  • Pectoral Sandpiper - Calidris melanotos A
  • Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Calidris acuminata A rare
  • Curlew Sandpiper - Calidris ferruginea A
  • Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus A rare
  • Purple Sandpiper - Calidris maritima A
  • Dunlin - Calidris alpina A
  • Broad-billed Sandpiper - Limicola falcinellus A rare
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper - Tryngites subruficollis A
  • Ruff - Philomachus pugnax A
  • Jack Snipe - Lymnocryptes minimus A
  • Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago A
  • Great Snipe - Gallinago media A rare
  • Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus A rare
  • Long-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus scolopaceus A rare
  • Woodcock - Scolopax rusticola A
  • Black-tailed Godwit - Limosa limosa A
  • Hudsonian Godwit - Limosa haemastica A rare
  • Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica A
  • Little Curlew - Numenius minutus A rare
  • Eskimo Curlew - Numenius borealis B extinct
  • Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus A
  • Slender-billed Curlew - Numenius tenuirostris A rare
  • Curlew - Numenius arquata A
  • Upland Sandpiper - Bartramia longicauda A rare
  • Spotted Redshank - Tringa erythropus A
  • Common Redshank - Tringa totanus A
  • Marsh Sandpiper - Tringa stagnatilis A rare
  • Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia A
  • Greater Yellowlegs - Tringa melanoleuca A rare
  • Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes A rare
  • Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria A rare
  • Green Sandpiper - Tringa ochropus A
  • Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola A
  • Terek Sandpiper - Xenus cinereus A rare
  • Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos A
  • Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius A rare
  • Grey-tailed Tattler - Heterosceles brevipes A rare
  • Turnstone - Arenaria interpres A
  • Wilson's Phalarope - Phalaropus tricolor A rare
  • Red-necked Phalarope - Phalaropus lobatus A
  • Grey Phalarope - Phalaropus fulicaria A

• Stercorariidae: skuas
  • Pomarine Skua - Stercorarius pomarinus A
  • Arctic Skua - Stercorarius parasiticus A
  • Long-tailed Skua - Stercorarius longicaudus A
  • Great Skua - Stercorarius skua A
• Laridae: gulls
  • Great Black-headed Gull - Larus ichthyaetus B rare
  • Mediterranean Gull - Larus melanocephalus A
  • Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla A rare
  • Franklin's Gull - Larus pipixcan A rare
  • Little Gull - Larus minutus A
  • Sabine's Gull - Larus sabini A
  • Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphia A rare
  • Black-headed Gull - Larus ridibundus A
  • Slender-billed Gull - Larus genei A rare
  • Audouin's Gull - Larus audouinii A rare
  • Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis A
  • Common Gull - Larus canus A
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus A
  • Herring Gull - Larus argentatus A
  • Iceland Gull - Larus glaucoides A
  • Glaucous Gull - Larus hyperboreus A
  • Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus A
  • Ross's Gull - Rhodostethia rosea A rare
  • Kittiwake - Rissa tridactyla A
  • Ivory Gull - Pagophila eburnea A rare
• Sternidae: terns
  • Gull-billed Tern - Sterna nilotica A rare
  • Caspian Tern - Sterna caspia A rare
  • Royal Tern - Sterna maximus A rare
  • Lesser Crested Tern - Sterna bengalensis A rare
  • Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis A
  • Elegant Tern - Sterna elegans A rare
  • Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii A
  • Common Tern - Sterna hirundo A
  • Arctic Tern - Sterna paradisaea A
  • Aleutian Tern - Sterna aleutica A rare
  • Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri A rare
  • Bridled Tern - Sterna anaethetus A rare
  • Sooty Tern - Sterna fuscata A rare
  • Little Tern - Sterna albifrons A
  • Whiskered Tern - Childonias hybridus A rare
  • Black Tern - Childonias niger A
  • White-winged Tern - Childonias leucopterus A rare

• Alcidae: auks
  • Common Guillemot - Uria aalge A
  • Brunnich's Guillemot - Uria lomvia A rare
  • Razorbill - Alca torda A
  • Great Auk - Pinguinus impennis B extinct
  • Black Guillemot - Cepphus grylle A
  • Ancient Murrelet - Synthliboramphus antiquus A rare
  • Little Auk - Alle alle A
  • Atlantic Puffin - Fratercula arctica A

• Pteroclidae: sandgrouse
  • Pallas's Sandgrouse - Syrrhaptes paradoxus A rare

• Columbidae: pigeons and doves
  • Rock Dove or Feral Pigeon - Columba livia A & C
  • Stock Dove - Columba oenas A
  • Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus A
  • Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto A
  • Turtle Dove - Streptopelia turtur A
  • Oriental Turtle Dove - Streptopelia orientalis A rare
  • Mourning Dove - Zenaida macroura A rare'

• Psittacidae: parrots
  • Ring-necked Parakeet - Psittacula krameri C

• Cuculidae: cuckoos
  • Great Spotted Cuckoo - Clamator glandarius A rare
  • Common Cuckoo - Cuculus canorus A
  • Black-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus erythropthalmus A rare
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo - Coccyzus americanus A rare

• Tytonidae: barn owls
  • Barn Owl - Tyto alba A
• Strigidae: owls
  • Scops Owl - Otus scops A rare
  • Snowy Owl - Bubo scandiacus A rare
  • Northern Hawk Owl - Surnia ulula A rare
  • Little Owl - Athene noctua C
  • Tawny Owl - Strix aluco A
  • Long-eared Owl - Asio otus A
  • Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus A
  • Tengmalm's Owl - Aegolius funereus A rare

• Caprimulgidae: nightjars
  • European Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus A
  • Red-necked Nightjar - Caprimulgus ruficollis A rare
  • Egyptian Nightjar - Caprimulgus aegyptius A rare
  • Common Nighthawk - Chordeiles minor A rare

• Apodidae: swifts
  • Chimney Swift - Chaetura pelagica A rare
  • Needle-tailed Swift - Hirundapus caudacutus A rare
  • Common Swift - Apus apus A
  • Pallid Swift - Apus pallidus A rare
  • Pacific Swift - Apus pacificus A rare
  • Alpine Swift - Apus melba A rare
  • Little Swift - Apus affinis A rare

• Alcedinidae: kingfishers
  • European Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis A
  • Belted Kingfisher - Ceryle alcyon A rare
• Meropidae: bee-eaters
  • Blue-cheeked Bee-eater - Merops persicus A rare
  • European Bee-eater - Merops apiaster A
• Coraciidae: rollers
  • European Roller - Coracias garrulus A rare
• Upupidae: Hoopoes
  • Hoopoe - Upupa epops A

• Picidae: woodpeckers
  • Eurasian Wryneck - Jynx torquilla A
  • Green Woodpecker - Picus viridis A
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Sphyrapicus varius A rare
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major A
  • Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos minor A

• See List of British birds: passerines

• The British Ornithologists' Union publishes a List of British birds.
• Also see Taxonomic Recommendations for European Birds and *Taxonomic recommendations for British birds (both in PDF format).