The Mainland Fife Bird List

The 5th edition of the Checklist of the Birds of the Mainland Fife Recording Area, which includes all accepted records to the end of September 2014 can be downloaded here

Since the 5th edition of the Checklist was produced there have been several new species to mainland Fife observed, and a number of taxonomic changes to the British List. Additions and changes up to 19 October 2024 have been captured in the Mainland Fife Bird List below. 

The Mainland Fife Bird List total currently stands at 348 species. There are a small number of occasions where it was not possible to identify beyond a species group (Fea’s-type Petrel, Isabelline Shrike group, Subalpine Warbler group), and whilst these species groups are included in the list below they are not included within the species total. The list also includes a handful of species awaiting acceptance by the relevant rarities committee  (indicated with an *)

No. Common Name Scientific name
1 Brent Goose Branta bernicla
2 Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis
3 Canada Goose Branta canadensis
4 Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
5 Ross’s Goose Anser rossii
6 Snow Goose Anser caerulescens
7 Greylag Goose Anser anser
8 Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis
9 Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
10 Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris
11 White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
12 Mute Swan Cygnus olor
13 Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus
14 Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
15 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
16 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
17 Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata
18 Garganey Spatula querquedula
19 Shoveler Spatula clypeata
20 Gadwall Mareca strepera
21 Wigeon Mareca penelope
22 American Wigeon Mareca americana
23 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
24 Pintail Anas acuta
25 Teal Anas crecca
26 Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis
27 Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina
28 Pochard Aythya ferina
29 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
30 Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
31 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
32 Scaup Aythya marila
33 Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
34 King Eider Somateria spectabilis
35 Eider Somateria mollissima
36 Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata
37 Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca
38 White-winged Scoter Melanitta delgandi
39 Stejneger's Scoter Melanitta stejnegeri
40 Common Scoter Melanitta nigra
41 Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
42 Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
43 Smew Mergellus albellus
44 Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
45 Goosander Mergus merganser
46 Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
47 Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
48 Red Grouse Lagopus lagopus
49 Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus
50 Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix
51 Grey Partridge Perdix perdix
52 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
53 Quail Coturnix coturnix
54 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa
55 Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus
56 Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
57 Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
58 Swift Apus apus
59 Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
60 Little Swift Apus affinis
61 Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax
62 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
63 Pallas’s Sandgro= use Syrrhaptes paradoxus
64 Rock Dove Columba livia
65 Stock Dove Columba oenas
66 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus
67 Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
68 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
69 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
70 Corncrake Crex crex
71 Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
72 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
73 Coot Fulica atra
74 Crane Grus grus
75 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
76 Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
77 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
78 Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus
79 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
80 Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
81 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
82 Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
83 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
84 Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus
85 Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
86 American Golden Plover= Pluvialis dominica
87 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
88 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
89 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
90 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
91 Dotterel Charadrius morinellus
92 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
93 Curlew Numenius arquata
94 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
95 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
96 Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica
97 Turnstone Arenaria interpres
98 Knot Calidris canutus
99 Ruff Calidris pugnax
100 Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus
101 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
102 Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii
103 Sanderling Calidris alba
104 Dunlin Calidris alpina
105 Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima
106 Little Stint Calidris minuta
107 White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
108 Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis
109 Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
110 Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus
111 Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
112 Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
113 Snipe Gallinago gallinago
114 Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor
115 Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus
116 Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
117 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
118 Spotted Sandpiper* Actitis macularius
119 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
120 Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
121 Redshank Tringa totanus
122 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
123 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
124 Greenshank Tringa nebularia
125 Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
126 Sabine's Gull Xema sabini
127 Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia
128 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
129 Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus
130 Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
131 Common Gull Larus canus
132 Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
133 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
134 Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
135 Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
136 Herring Gull Larus argentatus
137 Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans
138 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
139 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
140 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
141 Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
142 Little Tern Sternula albifrons
143 Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
144 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
145 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
146 White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
147 Black Tern Chlidonias niger
148 Great Skua Stercorarius skua
149 Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
150 Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
151 Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus
152 Little Auk Alle alle
153 Brunnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia
154 Common Guillemot Uria aalge
155 Razorbill Alca torda
156 Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle
157 Puffin Fratercula arctica
158 Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
159 Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica
160 Pacific Diver Gavia pacifica
161 Great Northern Diver Gavia immer
162 White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii
163 Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris
164 Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
165 Leach's Petrel Hydrobates leucorhous
166 Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis
  Fea's type petrel Pterodroma madeira/ feae/ deserta
167 Scopoli's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea
168 Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis
169 Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea
170 Great Shearwater Ardenna gravis
171 Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus
172 Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus
173 White Stork Ciconia ciconia
174 Gannet Morus bassanus
175 Brown  Booby Sula leucogaster
176 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
177 Shag Gulosus aristotelis
178 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
179 Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
180 Bittern Botaurus stellaris
181 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
182 Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax
183 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
184 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
185 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
186 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
187 Great White Egret Ardea alba
188 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
189 Osprey Pandion haliaetus
190 Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus
191 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
192 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
193 Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
194 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
195 Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
196 Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
197 Red Kite Milvus milvus
198 Black Kite Milvus migrans
199 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
200 Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus
201 Buzzard Buteo buteo
202 Barn Owl Tyto alba
203 Scops Owl Otus scops
204 Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus
205 Little Owl Athene noctua
206 Long-eared Owl Asio otus
207 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
208 Tawny Owl Strix aluco
209 Hoopoe Upupa epops
210 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
211 Bee-eater Merops apiaster
212 Wryneck Jynx torquilla
213 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
214 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
215 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
216 Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
217 Merlin Falco columbarius
218 Hobby Falco subbuteo
219 Peregrine Falco peregrinus
220 Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri
221 Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus
222 Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
  Isabelline Shrike group Lanius phoenicuroides/ isabellinus
223 Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor
224 Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor
225 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
226 Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus
227 Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
228 Jay Garrulus glandarius
229 Magpie Pica pica
230 Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
231 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula
232 Rook Corvus frugilegus
233 Carrion Crow Corvus corone
234 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
235 Raven Corvus corax
236 Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
237 Coal Tit Periparus ater
238 Willow Tit Poecile montanus
239 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
240 Great Tit Parus major
241 Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus
242 Woodlark Lullula arborea
243 Skylark Alauda arvensis
244 Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris
245 Sand Martin Riparia riparia
246 Swallow Hirundo rustica
247 House Martin Delichon urbicum
248 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
249 Cetti’s Warbler<= /td> Cettia cetti
250 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
251 Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
252 Hume’s Warbler Phylloscopus humei
253 Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
254 Pallas’s Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus
255 Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi
256 Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus
257 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
258 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
259 Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides
260 Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis
261 Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
262 Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
263 Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum
264 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
265 Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris
266 Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida
267 Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
268 River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis
269 Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
270 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
271 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
272 Barred Warbler Curruca nisoria
273 Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca
274 Sardinian Warbler Curruca melanocephala
  Subalpine Warbler group Curruca iberiae/ subalpina/ cantillans
275 Whitethroat Curruca communis
276 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla
277 Goldcrest Regulus regulus
278 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
279 Nuthatch Sitta europaea
280 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
281 Rose-coloured Starling Pastor roseus
282 Starling Sturnus vulgaris
283 Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica
284 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
285 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
286 Redwing Turdus iliacus
287 Blackbird Turdus merula
288 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
289 Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
290 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
291 Robin Erithacus rubecula
292 Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
293 Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia
294 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
295 Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus
296 Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva
297 Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
298 Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis
299 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
300 Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
301 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
302 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola
303 Siberian Stonechat* Saxicola maurus
304 Stejneger's Stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri
  Eastern Stonechat group Saxicola maurus/ stejnegeri
305 Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
306 Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti
307 Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
308 Dipper Cinclus cinclus
309 Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
310 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
311 Dunnock Prunella modularis
312 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
313 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
314 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba
315 Richard's Pipit Anthus richardi
316 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
317 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
318 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
319 Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
320 Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus
321 Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta
322 Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus
323 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
324 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
325 Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes
326 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
327 Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus
328 Greenfinch Chloris chloris
329 Twite Linaria flavirostris
330 Linnet Linaria cannabina
331 Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea
332 Lesser Redpoll Acanthis cabaret
333 Arctic Redpoll Acanthis hornemanni
334 Scottish Crossbill Loxia scotica
335 Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
336 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
337 Siskin Spinus spinus
338 Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus
339 Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
340 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra
341 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
342 Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana
343 Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla
344 Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola
345 Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala
346 Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
347 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys
348 Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula