The Berkshire list
The following is a list of all the species recorded as having occured within the county of Berkshire. See the notes at the foot of this page for further information. The Berkshire List currently stands at 321.
| Species | First | Last | Records | Birds | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose | Very scarce | |||||
| Canada Goose | Common | |||||
| Barnacle Goose | Fairly common | BRC3 | ||||
| Greylag Goose | Fairly common | |||||
| Bean Goose sp. | 1976 | 2003 | 7 | 25 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Taiga Bean Goose | 1996 | 1996 | 1 | 2 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Pink-footed Goose | <1974 | 2022 (2023) | 20 (5) | 48 (5) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Tundra Bean Goose | 1985 | 2012 | 7 | 31 | Rare | BRC2 |
| White-fronted Goose | <2000 | 2022 (2021) | 45 (2) | 265 (2) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Mute Swan | Fairly common | |||||
| Bewick's Swan | <2000 | 2014 | 13 | 47 | Rare | BRC3 |
| Whooper Swan | <2000 | 2022 (2019) | 15 (1) | 30 (1) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Egyptian Goose | Fairly common | |||||
| Shelduck | Scarce | |||||
| Mandarin Duck | Fairly common | |||||
| Garganey | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Blue-winged Teal | 1988 | 1990 (2024) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | Very rare | BBRC |
| Shoveler | Fairly common | |||||
| Gadwall | Fairly common | |||||
| Wigeon | Fairly common | |||||
| American Wigeon | 1985 | 2008 | 3 | 6 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Mallard | Common | |||||
| Pintail | Scarce | |||||
| Teal | Fairly common | |||||
| Green-winged Teal | 1990 | 2004 (2020) | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Red-crested Pochard | Scarce | |||||
| Pochard | Fairly common | |||||
| Ferruginous Duck | 1938 | 2022 (2023) | 30 (1) | 31 (1) | Rare | BBRC |
| Ring-necked Duck | 1959 | 2022 (2023) | 16 (3) | 19 (5) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Tufted Duck | Common | |||||
| Scaup | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Lesser Scaup | 2007 | 2018 | 5 | 5 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Eider | <1814 | 2020 | 14 | 48 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Velvet Scoter | 1795 | 2016 | 21 | 44 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Common Scoter | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Long-tailed Duck | 1961 | 2017 (2023) | 19 (1) | 22 (1) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Goldeneye | Fairly common | |||||
| Smew | Very scarce | |||||
| Goosander | Fairly common | |||||
| Red-breasted Merganser | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Ruddy Duck | <2013 | 2020 | 4 | 4 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Grey Partridge | Fairly common | |||||
| Pheasant | Very common | |||||
| Quail | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Red-legged Partridge | Fairly common | |||||
| Nightjar | Scarce | |||||
| Alpine Swift | 1955 | 2010 | 5 | 5 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Swift | Common | |||||
| Great Bustard | 1856 | 1856 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Little Bustard | 1958 | 1958 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Cuckoo | Fairly common | |||||
| Pallas's Sandgrouse | 1888 | 1908 | 5 | 37 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Feral Pigeon | Common | |||||
| Stock Dove | Common | |||||
| Woodpigeon | Abundant | |||||
| Turtle Dove | Very scarce | BRC2 | ||||
| Collared Dove | Very common | |||||
| Water Rail | Scarce | |||||
| Corncrake | 1974 | 2008 (2023) | 6 (2) | 6 (2) | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Sora Rail | 1864 | 1864 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Spotted Crake | <1974 | 2022 | 22 | 25 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Moorhen | Common | |||||
| Coot | Common | |||||
| Baillon's Crake | 1972 | 1972 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Crane | 1976 | 2018 (2023) | 10 (6) | 30 (9) | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Little Grebe | Fairly common | |||||
| Red-necked Grebe | <2000 | 2022 | 9 | 9 | Rare | BRC3 |
| Great Crested Grebe | Fairly common | |||||
| Slavonian Grebe | <2000 | 2020 (2018) | 29 (1) | 43 (1) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Black-necked Grebe | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Stone-curlew | Very scarce | |||||
| Oystercatcher | Scarce | |||||
| Black-winged Stilt | 1922 | 2022 | 5 | 10 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Avocet | 1936 | 2022 (2023) | 76 (2) | 139 (2) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Grey Plover | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Golden Plover | Fairly common | |||||
| Dotterel | <1974 | 2013 | 9 | 12 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Killdeer | 1984 | 1984 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Ringed Plover | Fairly common | |||||
| Little Ringed Plover | Scarce | |||||
| Lapwing | Common | |||||
| Sociable Plover | 1991 | 1991 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Kentish Plover | 1935 | 1986 | 6 | 6 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Whimbrel | Scarce | |||||
| Curlew | Scarce | |||||
| Bar-tailed Godwit | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Black-tailed Godwit | Scarce | |||||
| Jack Snipe | Scarce | |||||
| Woodcock | Fairly common | |||||
| Great Snipe | <1868 | 1956 | 6 | 6 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Snipe | Common | |||||
| Wilson's Phalarope | 1979 | 1987 | 2 | 2 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Grey Phalarope | 1851 | 2018 | 34 | 42 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Red-necked Phalarope | 1932 | 2022 | 8 | 10 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Common Sandpiper | Fairly common | |||||
| Spotted Sandpiper | (2024) | (2024) | (1) | (1) | Very rare | BBRC |
| Green Sandpiper | Fairly common | |||||
| Wood Sandpiper | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Redshank | Fairly common | |||||
| Lesser Yellowlegs | 1953 | 1953 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Spotted Redshank | <2000 | 2022 (2023) | 25 (1) | 27 (2) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Greenshank | Scarce | |||||
| Turnstone | Very scarce | |||||
| Knot | <2000 | 2021 (2023) | 39 (2) | 176 (2) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Ruff | Scarce | |||||
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | 1956 | 1956 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | 1975 | 1975 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Curlew Sandpiper | <2000 | 2022 (2018) | 18 (1) | 30 (2) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Temminck's Stint | <2000 | 2010 | 9 | 13 | Rare | BRC3 |
| Sanderling | Scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Dunlin | Fairly common | |||||
| Purple Sandpiper | 1983 | 2022 | 9 | 9 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Little Stint | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Least Sandpiper | 1975 | 1975 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| White-rumped Sandpiper | 2022 | 2022 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Pectoral Sandpiper | 1944 | 2017 | 19 | 19 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Black-winged Pratincole | 1976 | 1976 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Little Tern | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Caspian Tern | 1979 | 1979 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Whiskered Tern | 2005 | 2005 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Black Tern | Scarce | |||||
| White-winged Black Tern | 1948 | 1994 | 8 | 9 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Arctic Tern | Scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Common Tern | Fairly common | |||||
| Roseate Tern | 1967 | 2013 | 8 | 9 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Sandwich Tern | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Little Gull | Scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Kittiwake | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Sabine's Gull | 1987 | 2017 | 17 | 25 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Bonaparte's Gull | 2013 | 2020 | 2 | 2 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Black-headed Gull | Very common | |||||
| Laughing Gull | 2005 | 2005 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Mediterranean Gull | Scarce | |||||
| Common Gull | Fairly common | |||||
| Ring-billed Gull | 1984 | 2005 | 10 | 10 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Caspian Gull | Very scarce | BRC2 | ||||
| Herring Gull | Common | |||||
| Yellow-legged Gull | Fairly common | BRC3 | ||||
| Great Black-backed Gull | Fairly common | |||||
| Glaucous Gull | <1974 | 2021 | 61 | 63 | Very scarce | BRC2 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | Common | |||||
| Iceland Gull | 1940 | 2022 | 65 | 71 | Very scarce | BRC2 |
| Long-tailed Skua | 1978 | 2013 | 8 | 8 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Arctic Skua | 1934 | 2021 | 27 | 39 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Pomarine Skua | 1877 | 2012 | 7 | 19 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Great Skua | 1980 | 2018 | 12 | 15 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Puffin | 1810 | 1996 | 18 | 18 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Razorbill | 1948 | 1948 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Little Auk | 1807 | 2007 | 15 | 22 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Guillemot | 1904 | 2022 | 8 | 8 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Red-throated Diver | <2000 | 2021 | 8 | 8 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Black-throated Diver | <2000 | 2015 | 5 | 5 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Great Northern Diver | <2000 | 2022 (2023) | 37 (3) | 41 (3) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Storm Petrel | 1929 | 2003 | 8 | 8 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Leach's Petrel | 1847/8 | 2021 | 23 | 24 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Fulmar | 1971 | 2003 | 4 | 4 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Manx Shearwater | 1883 | 2020 | 23 | 23 | Rare | BRC2 |
| White Stork | 1968 | 2022 (2022) | 16 (2) | 17 (4) | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Gannet | 1865 | 2021 | 33 | 36 | Rare | BRC3 |
| Cormorant | Fairly common | |||||
| Shag | <2000 | 2021 (2022) | 20 (2) | 35 (3) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Glossy Ibis | 1793 | 2022 (2016) | 9 (1) | 10 (1) | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Spoonbill | 1940 | 2022 (2022) | 33 (2) | 54 (2) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Bittern | Very scarce | |||||
| Little Bittern | 1826 | 1972 | 3 | 4 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Night-heron | 1976 | 2020 | 4 | 4 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Little Egret | Scarce | |||||
| Great White Egret | Scarce | |||||
| Cattle Egret | 2007 | 2022 (2023) | 40 (14) | 71 (48) | Very scarce | BRC2 |
| Grey Heron | Fairly common | |||||
| Purple Heron | 1861 | 2014 | 7 | 7 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Osprey | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Honey-buzzard | 1793 | 2022 (2023) | 55 (4) | 64 (4) | Very scarce | BRC2 |
| Spotted Eagle | 1872 | 1872 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Booted Eagle | (2024) | (2024) | (1) | (1) | Very rare | BBRC |
| Golden Eagle | 1924 | 1924 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Sparrowhawk | Fairly common | |||||
| Goshawk | <1974 | 2022 (2023) | 45 (12) | 69 (15) | Very scarce | BRC2 |
| Marsh Harrier | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Hen Harrier | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Pallid Harrier | (2023) | (2023) | (1) | (1) | Very rare | BBRC |
| Montagu's Harrier | Very scarce | BRC2 | ||||
| Red Kite | Fairly common | |||||
| Black Kite | 2001 | 2001 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| White-tailed Eagle | 1851 | 2022 (2023) | 9 (4) | 10 (4) | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Rough-legged Buzzard | 1931 | 2011 (2019) | 20 (1) | 23 (1) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Buzzard | Fairly common | |||||
| Barn Owl | Scarce | |||||
| Tengmalm's Owl | 1864 | 1864 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Little Owl | Scarce | |||||
| Long-eared Owl | Very scarce | BRC2 | ||||
| Short-eared Owl | Scarce | |||||
| Tawny Owl | Fairly common | |||||
| Hoopoe | <2000 | 2022 (2020) | 11 (1) | 12 (1) | Rare | BRC3 |
| Roller | 1927 | 1927 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Kingfisher | Fairly common | |||||
| Wryneck | <2000 | 2022 (2017) | 24 (1) | 24 (1) | Very scarce | BRC2 |
| Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | Very scarce | BRC2 | ||||
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | Common | |||||
| Green Woodpecker | Common | |||||
| Kestrel | Fairly common | |||||
| Red-footed Falcon | 1973 | 2022 | 11 | 12 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Merlin | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Hobby | Scarce | |||||
| Gyr Falcon | 1970 | 1971 | 2 | 2 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Peregrine | Fairly common | |||||
| Ring-necked Parakeet | Fairly common | |||||
| Golden Oriole | <1868 | 2014 (2018) | 13 (2) | 16 (2) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Great Grey Shrike | <2000 | 2018 (2018) | 24 (1) | 24 (1) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Woodchat Shrike | 1989 | 1991 | 2 | 2 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Red-backed Shrike | <2000 | 2021 | 7 | 7 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Jay | Common | |||||
| Magpie | Very common | |||||
| Nutcracker | 1968 | 1968 | 3 | 4 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Jackdaw | Very common | |||||
| Rook | Very common | |||||
| Carrion Crow | Very common | |||||
| Hooded Crow | 1920 | 2021 | 15 | 35 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Raven | Scarce | |||||
| Waxwing | Rare | BRC2 | ||||
| Coal Tit | Common | |||||
| Marsh Tit | Fairly common | |||||
| Willow Tit | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Blue Tit | Abundant | |||||
| Great Tit | Abundant | |||||
| Penduline Tit | 1988 | 1988 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Bearded Tit | <1974 | 2019 | 33 | 105 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Woodlark | Fairly common | |||||
| Skylark | Very common | |||||
| Shore Lark | 1973 | 1998 | 2 | 2 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Short-toed Lark | 1987 | 1987 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Sand Martin | Fairly common | |||||
| Swallow | Common | |||||
| House Martin | Common | |||||
| Red-rumped Swallow | 1992 | 1999 | 3 | 3 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Cetti's Warbler | Scarce | |||||
| Long-tailed Tit | Common | |||||
| Wood Warbler | Very scarce | BRC2 | ||||
| Bonelli's Warbler sp. | 1975 | 1975 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Yellow-browed Warbler | 1986 | 2021 (2023) | 18 (4) | 19 (5) | Very scarce | BRC3 |
| Pallas's Warbler | 2013 | 2013 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Radde's Warbler | 2019 | 2019 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Willow Warbler | Common | |||||
| Chiffchaff | Very common | |||||
| Great Reed Warbler | 1960 | 2014 | 4 | 4 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Aquatic Warbler | 1944 | 1991 | 5 | 5 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Sedge Warbler | Common | |||||
| Paddyfield Warbler | 1997 | 1997 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Reed Warbler | Common | |||||
| Marsh Warbler | 1909 | 1997 | 12 | 14 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Melodious Warbler | 1972 | 1986 | 3 | 3 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Icterine Warbler | 1963 | 2015 | 4 | 4 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Savi's Warbler | 1968 | 1968 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Grasshopper Warbler | Scarce | |||||
| Blackcap | Very common | |||||
| Garden Warbler | Common | |||||
| Lesser Whitethroat | Fairly common | |||||
| Whitethroat | Very common | |||||
| Dartford Warbler | Scarce | |||||
| Firecrest | Scarce | |||||
| Goldcrest | Very common | |||||
| Wren | Abundant | |||||
| Nuthatch | Common | |||||
| Treecreeper | Common | |||||
| Rose-coloured Starling | 1810 | 2019 | 4 | 4 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Starling | Very common | |||||
| Song Thrush | Very common | |||||
| Mistle Thrush | Common | |||||
| Redwing | Common | |||||
| Blackbird | Abundant | |||||
| Fieldfare | Common | |||||
| Ring Ouzel | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Black-throated Thrush | 1998 | 1998 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Fairly common | |||||
| Robin | Abundant | |||||
| Nightingale | Fairly common | |||||
| Bluethroat | 1972 | 2009 | 3 | 3 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Pied Flycatcher | Very scarce | BRC2 | ||||
| Black Redstart | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Redstart | Scarce | |||||
| Whinchat | Fairly common | |||||
| Siberian Stonechat | 1986 | 1986 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Stonechat | Scarce | |||||
| Wheatear | Fairly common | |||||
| Dipper | 1803 | 2015 (2022) | 26 (1) | 30 (1) | Rare | BRC2 |
| Tree Sparrow | <2000 | 2012 (2023) | 18 (2) | 45 (2) | Rare | BRC2 |
| House Sparrow | Very common | |||||
| Dunnock | Very common | |||||
| Yellow Wagtail | Fairly common | |||||
| Grey Wagtail | Fairly common | |||||
| Pied Wagtail | Common | |||||
| White Wagtail | Scarce | |||||
| Richard's Pipit | 1967 | 2012 | 8 | 8 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Tawny Pipit | 1975 | 1975 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Meadow Pipit | Very common | |||||
| Tree Pipit | Fairly common | |||||
| Olive-backed Pipit | 1984 | 1984 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Red-throated Pipit | 1979 | 1979 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Buff-bellied Pipit | 2012 | 2012 | 1 | 2 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Water Pipit | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Rock Pipit | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Chaffinch | Abundant | |||||
| Brambling | Common | |||||
| Hawfinch | Very scarce | BRC3 | ||||
| Pine Grosbeak | 1901 | 1901 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Bullfinch | Fairly common | |||||
| Common Rosefinch | 1982 | 2015 | 3 | 3 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Greenfinch | Very common | |||||
| Twite | 1960 | 2017 | 19 | 35 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Linnet | Fairly common | |||||
| Mealy Redpoll | 1936 | 2018 (2023) | 66 (4) | 138 (27) | Very scarce | BRC2 |
| Lesser Redpoll | Common | |||||
| Parrot Crossbill | 1983 | 2017 | 2 | 20 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Crossbill | Scarce | |||||
| Two-barred Crossbill | 1890 | 1890 | 1 | 4 | Very rare | BBRC |
| Goldfinch | Very common | |||||
| Serin | 1986 | 2015 | 5 | 5 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Siskin | Fairly common | |||||
| Lapland Bunting | 1967 | 2019 | 20 | 23 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Snow Bunting | <2000 | 2021 | 15 | 18 | Rare | BRC2 |
| Corn Bunting | Fairly common | |||||
| Yellowhammer | Common | |||||
| Ortolan Bunting | 1860s | 2007 (2017) | 3 (1) | 5 (1) | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Cirl Bunting | <1974 | 1981 | 8 | 11 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Little Bunting | 1987 | 1987 | 1 | 1 | Very rare | BRC2 |
| Reed Bunting | Common |
Statistics
The statistics have been compiled from The Birds of Berkshire, the annual reports of the ROC and BOC, and for more recent records from submissions to this website. The statistics include records that are yet to be accepted in brackets.
First/last
The year in which the species was first and last recorded in Berkshire.
No. Records
The number of records of the species.
No. Birds
The number of individual birds involved in the records.
Rarity Status
The categories are defined by the BRC as follows:
- BBRC Nationally rare species for which records first have to be accepted by the BBRC.
- BRC2 Locally rare species for which a full description is required.
- BRC3 Locally scarce species (or commoner species seen at an unusual time of year or in exceptional ciscumstances) for which short supporting notes are required.