The London Area is the area defined by the London Natural History Society as that within 20 miles of St Paul's Cathedral, see LNHSAreaMap. The current list stands at 374 species (latest addition: Pallid Harrier, 2022). The taxonomic order follows that of the BOU (2022).
Species marked as N or D mean that Notes or a Description is required; those marked BBRC require a formal description to the British Birds Rarities Committee which should be made online through their website.
To find out about each species' status in London, including all records for rarities click on the species name (work in progress).
Species | Scientific Name | Description Required |
---|---|---|
Brent Goose | Branta bernicla | |
Red-breasted Goose | Branta ruficollis | BBRC |
Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | |
Barnacle Goose | Branta leucopsis | |
Snow Goose | Anser caerulescens | D |
Greylag Goose | Anser anser | |
Pink-footed Goose | Anser brachyrhynchus | D |
Tundra Bean Goose | Anser serrirostris | D |
White-fronted Goose | Anser albifrons | |
Mute Swan | Cygnus olor | |
Bewick's Swan | Cygnus columbianus | N |
Whooper Swan | Cygnus cygnus | N |
Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca | |
Common Shelduck | Tadorna tadorna | |
Mandarin Duck | Aix galericulata | |
Garganey | Spatula querquedula | |
Blue-winged Teal | Spatula discors | BBRC |
Shoveler | Spatula clypeata | |
Gadwall | Mareca strepera | |
Eurasian Wigeon | Mareca penelope | |
Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | |
Pintail | Anas acuta | |
Teal | Anas crecca | |
Green-winged Teal | Anas carolinensis | D |
Red-crested Pochard | Netta rufina | |
Pochard | Aythya ferina | |
Ferruginous Duck | Aythya nyroca | BBRC |
Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | D |
Tufted Duck | Aythya fuligula | |
Scaup | Aythya marila | |
Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | BBRC |
King Eider | Somateria spectabilis | BBRC |
Eider | Somateria mollissima | N |
Velvet Scoter | Melanitta fusca | D |
Common Scoter | Melanitta nigra | |
Long-tailed Duck | Clangula hyemalis | N |
Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | |
Smew | Mergellus albellus | |
Goosander | Mergus merganser | |
Red-breasted Merganser | Mergus serrator | |
Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | |
Black Grouse | Lyrurus tetrix | D |
Grey Partridge | Perdix perdix | |
Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | |
Quail | Coturnix coturnix | |
Red-legged Partridge | Alectoris rufa | |
Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | BBRC |
Nightjar | Caprimulgus europaeus | N |
Alpine Swift | Tachymarptis melba | D |
Swift | Apus apus | |
Great Bustard | Otis tarda | BBRC |
Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus americanus | BBRC |
Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | |
Pallas's Sandgrouse | Syrrhaptes paradoxus | BBRC |
Rock Dove | Columba livia | |
Stock Dove | Columba oenas | |
Woodpigeon | Columba palumbus | |
Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur | |
Oriental Turtle Dove | Streptopelia orientalis | BBRC |
Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | |
Water Rail | Rallus aquaticus | |
Corncrake | Crex crex | D |
Spotted Crake | Porzana porzana | D |
Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | |
Coot | Fulica atra | |
Baillon's Crake | Zapornia pusilla | BBRC |
Little Crake | Zapornia parva | BBRC |
Crane | Grus grus | D |
Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis | |
Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps | BBRC |
Red-necked Grebe | Podiceps grisegena | |
Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | |
Slavonian Grebe | Podiceps auritus | |
Black-necked Grebe | Podiceps nigricollis | |
Stone-curlew | Burhinus oedicnemus | D |
Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | |
Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | D |
Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta | |
Lapwing | Vanellus vanellus | |
Sociable Plover | Vanellus gregarius | BBRC |
White-tailed Lapwing | Vanellus leucurus | BBRC |
Golden Plover | Pluvialis apricaria | |
Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva | BBRC |
American Golden Plover | Pluvialis dominica | D |
Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola | |
Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | |
Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius | |
Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | BBRC |
Kentish Plover | Charadrius alexandrinus | BBRC |
Dotterel | Charadrius morinellus | D |
Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | |
Curlew | Numenius arquata | |
Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica | |
Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa | |
Turnstone | Arenaria interpres | |
Knot | Calidris canutus | |
Ruff | Calidris pugnax | |
Broad-billed Sandpiper | Calidris falcinellus | BBRC |
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Calidris acuminata | BBRC |
Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | |
Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | D |
Sanderling | Calidris alba | |
Dunlin | Calidris alpina | |
Purple Sandpiper | Calidris maritima | D |
Baird's Sandpiper | Calidris bairdii | BBRC |
Little Stint | Calidris minuta | |
White-rumped Sandpiper | Calidris fuscicollis | D |
Buff-breasted Sandpiper | Calidris subruficollis | D |
Pectoral Sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | D |
Western Sandpiper | Calidris mauri | BBRC |
Long-billed Dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | BBRC |
Woodcock | Scolopax rusticola | |
Jack Snipe | Lymnocryptes minimus | |
Great Snipe | Gallinago media | BBRC |
Common Snipe | Gallinago gallinago | |
Wilson's Phalarope | Phalaropus tricolor | BBRC |
Red-necked Phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | D |
Grey Phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | D |
Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | |
Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | BBRC |
Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | |
Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | BBRC |
Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | D |
Redshank | Tringa totanus | |
Marsh Sandpiper | Tringa stagnatilis | BBRC |
Wood Sandpiper | Tringa glareola | |
Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | |
Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | |
Cream-coloured Courser | Cursorius cursor | BBRC |
Collared Pratincole | Glareola pratincola | BBRC |
Kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | |
Sabine's Gull | Xema sabini | D |
Bonaparte's Gull | Chroicocephalus philadelphia | BBRC |
Black-headed Gull | Chroicocephalus ridibundus | |
Little Gull | Hydrocoloeus minutus | |
Laughing Gull | Leucophaeus atricilla | BBRC |
Franklin's Gull | Leucophaeus pipixcan | BBRC |
Mediterranean Gull | Ichthyaetus melanocephalus | |
Common Gull | Larus canus | |
Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | D |
Great Black-backed Gull | Larus marinus | |
Glaucous-winged Gull | Larus glaucescens | BBRC |
Glaucous Gull | Larus hyperboreus | N away from Rainham, Beddington & west London reservoirs |
Iceland Gull | Larus glaucoides | N away from Rainham, Beddington & west London reservoirs |
Herring Gull | Larus argentatus | |
Caspian Gull | Larus cachinnans | |
Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michaellis | |
Slaty-backed Gull | Larus schistisagus | BBRC |
Lesser Black-backed Gull | Larus fuscus | |
Gull-billed Tern | Gelochelidon nilotica | BBRC |
Caspian Tern | Hydroprogne caspia | BBRC |
Sandwich Tern | Thalasseus sandvicensis | |
Little Tern | Sternula albifrons | |
Bridled Tern | Onychoprion anaethetus | BBRC |
Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | D |
Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | |
Arctic Tern | Sterna paradisaea | |
Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybridus | BBRC |
White-winged Black Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus | D |
Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | |
Great Skua | Stercorarius skua | D |
Pomarine Skua | Stercorarius pomarinus | D |
Arctic Skua | Stercorarius parasiticus | D away from Thames |
Long-tailed Skua | Stercorarius longicaudus | D |
Little Auk | Alle alle | D |
Guillemot | Uria aalge | D away from Lower Thames |
Razorbill | Alca torda | D |
Black Guillemot | Cepphus grylle | D |
Puffin | Fratercula arctica | D |
Red-throated Diver | Gavia stellata | N |
Black-throated Diver | Gavia arctica | N |
Great Northern Diver | Gavia immer | |
Storm-petrel | Hydrobates pelagicus | D |
Leach's Petrel | Hydrobates leucorhous | D |
Fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | D |
Cory's Shearwater | Calonectris borealis | D |
Manx Shearwater | Puffinus puffinus | D |
Balearic Shearwater | Puffinus mauretanicus | D |
Barolo Shearwater | Puffinus baroli | BBRC |
Black Stork | Ciconia nigra | BBRC |
White Stork | Ciconia ciconia | D |
Gannet | Morus bassanus | N |
Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | |
Shag | Gulosus aristotelis | |
Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus | D |
Spoonbill | Platalea leucorodia | N |
Bittern | Botaurus stellaris | |
Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | BBRC |
Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | D |
Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | BBRC |
Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | |
Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | |
Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | D |
Great White Egret | Ardea alba | |
Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | |
Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | |
Honey Buzzard | Pernis apivorus | D |
Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | D |
Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | |
Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | D |
Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | |
Hen Harrier | Circus cyaneus | D May-Sep |
Montagu's Harrier | Circus pygargus | D |
Pallid Harrier | Circus macrourus | BBRC |
Red Kite | Milvus milvus | |
Black Kite | Milvus migrans | D |
White-tailed Eagle | Haliaeetus albicilla | D |
Rough-legged Buzzard | Buteo lagopus | D |
Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo | |
Barn Owl | Tyto alba | |
Tengmalm's Owl | Aegolius funereus | BBRC |
Little Owl | Athene noctua | |
Scops Owl | Otus scops | BBRC |
Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | |
Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | |
Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiacus | BBRC |
Tawny Owl | Strix aluco | |
Hoopoe | Upupa epops | D |
Roller | Coracias garrulus | BBRC |
Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | |
Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | D |
Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | D |
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | Dryobates minor | |
Great Spotted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos major | |
Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis | |
Lesser Kestrel | Falco naumanni | BBRC |
Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | |
Red-footed Falcon | Falco vespertinus | D |
Merlin | Falco columbarius | N away from Lower Thames |
Hobby | Falco subbuteo | |
Gyr Falcon | Falco rusticolus | BBRC |
Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | |
Ring-necked Parakeet | Psittacula krameri | |
Brown Shrike | Lanius cristatus | BBRC |
Red-backed Shrike | Lanius collurio | D |
Red-tailed Shrike | Lanius phoenicuroides | BBRC |
Lesser Grey Shrike | Lanius minor | BBRC |
Great Grey Shrike | Lanius excubitor | D |
Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator | D |
Golden Oriole | Oriolus oriolus | D |
Jay | Garrulus glandarius | |
Magpie | Pica pica | |
Nutcracker | Nucifraga caryocatactes | BBRC |
Jackdaw | Corvus monedula | |
Rook | Corvus frugilegus | |
Carrion Crow | Corvus corone | |
Hooded Crow | Corvus cornix | D |
Raven | Corvus corax | |
Waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | |
Coal Tit | Periparus ater | |
Crested Tit | Lophophanes cristatus | D |
Marsh Tit | Poecile palustris | |
Willow Tit | Poecile montanus | D |
Blue Tit | Cyanistes caeruleus | |
Great Tit | Parus major | |
Penduline Tit | Remiz pendulinus | BBRC |
Bearded Tit | Panurus biarmicus | |
Woodlark | Lullula arborea | |
Skylark | Alauda arvensis | |
Crested Lark | Galerida cristata | BBRC |
Shore Lark | Eremophila alpestris | D |
Short-toed Lark | Calandrella brachydactyla | D |
Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | |
Swallow | Hirundo rustica | |
House Martin | Delichon urbicum | |
Red-rumped Swallow | Cecropsis daurica | D |
Cetti's Warbler | Cettia cetti | |
Long-tailed Tit | Aegithalos caudatus | |
Wood Warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix | |
Hume's Warbler | Phylloscopus humei | BBRC |
Yellow-browed Warbler | Phylloscopus inornatus | |
Pallas's Warbler | Phylloscopus proregulus | D |
Radde's Warbler | Phylloscopus schwarzi | D |
Dusky Warbler | Phylloscopus fuscatus | D |
Willow Warbler | Phylloscopus trochilus | |
Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | |
Iberian Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus ibericus | BBRC |
Eastern Crowned Warbler | Phylloscopus coronatus | BBRC |
Great Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus arundinaceus | BBRC |
Aquatic Warbler | Acrocephalus paludicola | BBRC |
Sedge Warbler | Acrocephalus schoenobaenus | |
Paddyfield Warbler | Acrocephalus agricola | BBRC |
Blyth's Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus dumetorum | D |
Reed Warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | |
Marsh Warbler | Acrocephalus palustris | D |
Melodious Warbler | Hippolais polyglotta | D |
Icterine Warbler | Hippolais icterina | D |
Savi's Warbler | Locustella luscinioides | BBRC |
Grasshopper Warbler | Locustella naevia | |
Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | |
Garden Warbler | Sylvia borin | |
Barred Warbler | Curruca nisoria | D |
Lesser Whitethroat | Curruca curruca | |
Sardinian Warbler | Curruca melanocephala | BBRC |
Subalpine Warbler sp | Curruca cantillans/iberiae/subalpina | BBRC |
Common Whitethroat | Curruca communis | |
Dartford Warbler | Curruca undata | |
Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla | |
Goldcrest | Regulus regulus | |
Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | |
Nuthatch | Sitta europaea | |
Treecreeper | Certhia familiaris | |
Short-toed Treecreeper | Certhia brachydactyla | BBRC |
Rose-coloured Starling | Pastor roseus | D |
Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | |
Grey-cheeked Thrush | Catharus minimus | BBRC |
Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | |
Mistle Thrush | Turdus viscivorus | |
Redwing | Turdus iliacus | |
Blackbird | Turdus merula | |
Fieldfare | Turdus pilaris | |
Ring Ouzel | Turdus torquatus | |
Naumann's Thrush | Turdus naumanni | BBRC |
American Robin | Turdus migratorius | BBRC |
Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | |
Robin | Erithacus rubecula | |
Bluethroat | Luscinia svecica | D |
Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | |
Red-breasted Flycatcher | Ficedula parva | D |
Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | |
Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | |
Common Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | |
Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | |
Stonechat | Saxicola torquata | |
Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | |
Desert Wheatear | Oenanthe deserti | BBRC |
Dipper | Cinclus cinclus | D |
Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus | |
House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | |
Alpine Accentor | Prunella collaris | BBRC |
Dunnock | Prunella modularis | |
Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | |
Citrine Wagtail | Motacilla citreola | D |
Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | |
Pied Wagtail | Motacilla alba | |
Richard's Pipit | Anthus richardi | D |
Tawny Pipit | Anthus campestris | BBRC |
Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | |
Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | |
Olive-backed Pipit | Anthus hodgsoni | D |
Red-throated Pipit | Anthus cervinus | BBRC |
Buff-bellied Pipit | Anthus rubescens | BBRC |
Water Pipit | Anthus spinoletta | |
Rock Pipit | Anthus petrosus | |
Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | |
Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla | |
Hawfinch | Coccothraustes coccothraustes | |
Pine Grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | BBRC |
Bullfinch | Pyrrhula pyrrhula | |
Common Rosefinch | Carpodacus erythrinus | D |
Greenfinch | Chloris chloris | |
Twite | Linaria flavirostris | D |
Linnet | Linaria cannabina | |
Common Redpoll (Mealy) | Acanthis flammea | |
Lesser Redpoll | Acanthis cabaret | |
Arctic Redpoll | Acanthis hornemanni | D |
Parrot Crossbill | Loxia pytyopsittacus | D |
Common Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | |
Two-barred Crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | BBRC |
Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | |
Serin | Serinus serinus | D |
Siskin | Spinus spinus | |
Lapland Bunting | Calcarius lapponicus | D |
Snow Bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | N |
Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra | |
Yellowhammer | Emberiza citrinella | |
Pine Bunting | Emberiza leucocephalos | BBRC |
Ortolan Bunting | Emberiza hortulana | D |
Cirl Bunting | Emberiza cirlus | D |
Little Bunting | Emberiza pusilla | D |
Rustic Bunting | Emberiza rustica | BBRC |
Black-headed Bunting | Emberiza melanocephala | BBRC |
Reed Bunting | Emberiza schoeniclus | |
Dark-eyed Junco | Junco hyemalis | BBRC |