Scottish Migratory Birds Calendar
Updated for 2027
Scotland is home to an incredible variety of birds throughout the year. Some species live and breed here all year round, while others travel enormous distances to reach Scotland for the summer, winter or simply to stop and feed during their migration.
We’ve created this Scottish Migratory Birds Calendar to help visitors understand what birds they might see while travelling around Scotland throughout the year.
Scotland’s position on the edge of Europe, its long coastline, islands, wetlands, lochs, farmland, forests and mountains make it an important place for birds. Scotland provides summer breeding grounds for thousands of seabirds, while its coastline, estuaries and countryside also provide important wintering and feeding areas for migratory birds.
Bird migration is not an exact science. Arrival and departure dates can vary from year to year depending on weather, food availability and conditions along migration routes. Some birds arrive gradually, some pass through quickly and others remain in Scotland for several months.
So use this calendar as a guide rather than a guarantee.
And, as always, keep your eyes peeled.
Birds You Can See Throughout the Year
Before looking at seasonal visitors, there are plenty of birds that can be encountered in Scotland throughout the year.
Depending on where you travel, you may see:
Robins
Wrens
Blackbirds
Song thrushes
Chaffinches
Blue tits
Great tits
Coal tits
Long-tailed tits
Dunnocks
House sparrows
Starlings
Wood pigeons
Rooks
Jackdaws
Carrion crows
Ravens
Magpies
Buzzards
Kestrels
Sparrowhawks
Grey herons
Cormorants
Gulls
Oystercatchers
These are just some of the birds you may encounter. Scotland’s birdlife is much more varied, with different species associated with woodland, farmland, mountains, freshwater, coastline, towns and cities.
Some species that appear to be resident can also move around considerably during the year, while birds from elsewhere may join them during the winter or breeding season.
Scotland is an essential feeding station for migrating birds, a winter haven for ducks, geese and shorebirds, and an important summer home for nesting seabirds.
JANUARY
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Whooper swans
Pink-footed geese
Barnacle geese
Fieldfares
Redwings
Goldeneye
Red-throated divers
Turnstones
Knot
Redshanks
Purple sandpipers
Oystercatchers
Gulls
Cormorants
January is very much a month for winter visitors.
Scotland’s relatively mild maritime climate provides important winter habitat for birds arriving from colder northern breeding grounds. Geese, swans, ducks, thrushes and waders can all form an important part of the winter bird population.
Winter Visitors From The North
Whooper swans are winter visitors to Scotland, arriving from Iceland and spending the colder months here before returning north.
Pink-footed geese arrive from Iceland and Greenland, while Barnacle geese reach Scotland from Arctic breeding grounds.
Large groups of geese can sometimes be seen feeding on farmland and grasslands, particularly in areas where suitable winter food is available.
Look Out For Winter Thrushes
Fieldfares and redwings are familiar winter visitors.
They can be found in farmland, fields, hedgerows and woodland edges, particularly where berries and other food are available.
Look Along The Shore
Scotland’s coastline and estuaries are particularly important during winter.
Look for turnstones, knot, redshanks and purple sandpipers feeding along rocky shores, beaches, mudflats and estuaries.
NatureScot highlights major estuaries including the Firth of Forth and Solway Firth as important wintering areas for waders.
FEBRUARY
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Whooper swans
Pink-footed geese
Barnacle geese
Fieldfares
Redwings
Goldeneye
Divers
Turnstones
Knot
Redshanks
Purple sandpipers
Gulls
Cormorants
Peregrines
February is still very much a winter birdwatching month, but the first signs of the breeding season are beginning to appear.
Winter Visitors Are Still Here
Geese, swans and wintering waders remain an important part of Scotland’s birdlife.
Keep looking across farmland, lochs, estuaries and coastal mudflats for large groups of wintering birds.
Look Out For Gannets Returning
Around the Firth of Forth, Northern gannets begin returning to the Bass Rock towards the end of January and their numbers build through February.
The Bass Rock is one of Scotland’s great seabird spectacles, and the colony becomes increasingly active as birds return to establish themselves for the breeding season.
The First Signs Of Spring
Resident birds begin becoming increasingly vocal and territorial as the days lengthen.
Listen for birdsong as well as looking into the trees and hedgerows.
MARCH
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Whooper swans
Pink-footed geese
Barnacle geese
Fieldfares
Redwings
Gannets
Fulmars
Razorbills
Guillemots
Eiders
Shags
Cormorants
Peregrines
Wintering waders
March is when the transition from winter to spring becomes much more obvious.
Some winter visitors remain, while seabirds begin returning to their breeding colonies and resident birds become increasingly occupied with establishing territories.
Breeding Seabirds Begin To Return
Around the Firth of Forth, eiders, gulls, cormorants, fulmars, razorbills and guillemots become increasingly associated with nesting sites.
Shags and cormorants begin laying eggs, while gannets become established on their breeding sites.
Peregrines can begin laying eggs towards the end of the month and become more secretive as they settle into breeding.
Look Out For The First Signs Of Nesting
You may see birds carrying nesting material, defending territories or repeatedly visiting particular cliffs, trees or buildings.
This is a good time to remember that nesting birds need space. Watching from a suitable distance is far better than approaching a nest for a closer look.
APRIL
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Puffins
Gannets
Guillemots
Razorbills
Fulmars
Eiders
Shags
Cormorants
Gulls
Kittiwakes
Swallows
Sand martins
Summer migrants
April is one of the most exciting months for Scottish birdlife.
Winter visitors begin heading north while summer migrants and returning seabirds start arriving.
Puffins Are Back
Atlantic puffins return to Scottish breeding colonies during April.
In the Firth of Forth, puffins return to islands including the Isle of May, Craigleith and other nearby breeding sites.
Puffins spend most of their lives at sea and only return to land for the breeding season. The Scottish Seabird Centre recommends April to July as the period to see them in the Firth of Forth.
The Seabird Cliffs Come Alive
Gannets, razorbills, guillemots, eiders, shags, cormorants and gulls become increasingly involved in breeding activity.
Egg laying begins for several species and the first shag chicks can appear towards the end of April in the Firth of Forth.
Some Winter Visitors Head North
As spring progresses, many wintering waders begin leaving Scotland for breeding grounds further north.
Some species travel extraordinary distances, with some shorebirds travelling as far as Arctic breeding grounds.
MAY
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Puffins
Gannets
Guillemots
Razorbills
Kittiwakes
Terns
Fulmars
Shags
Cormorants
Eiders
Gulls
Swallows
House martins
Sand martins
Cuckoos
Ospreys
May is when Scotland’s summer birdlife really starts to take over.
The Seabird Colonies Are Getting Busy
Scotland’s islands and coastal cliffs can become extraordinarily busy during the breeding season.
In the Firth of Forth, huge numbers of seabirds gather on the islands, including puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, shags, cormorants, eiders, gulls and fulmars.
Kittiwakes and terns also return and begin nesting.
Look Out For Summer Migrants
May is also a good month to watch for birds that have travelled north to breed.
Swallows, house martins and sand martins return from their wintering areas further south.
Other summer migrants can include cuckoos, warblers and other songbirds, with arrival dates varying between species and from year to year.
Look For Ospreys
Scotland is an important breeding area for ospreys.
They return to breeding territories in spring and can be seen around suitable lochs, rivers and wetlands while hunting for fish.
NatureScot identifies the osprey among the birds for which Scotland has particular importance within the UK.
JUNE
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Puffins
Gannets
Guillemots
Razorbills
Kittiwakes
Terns
Fulmars
Shags
Cormorants
Eiders
Gulls
Ospreys
Swallows
House martins
Sand martins
Cuckoos
Warblers
June is one of the most spectacular months for birdwatching in Scotland.
The Seabird Colonies Are At Their Busiest
Many seabirds are now incubating eggs or feeding chicks.
The Firth of Forth is a particularly good example, with hundreds of thousands of seabirds present on its islands during the breeding season.
The Scottish Seabird Centre identifies June as one of the best months to see the seabirds there, when many adults are busy feeding chicks.
Puffin Season
Puffins are one of Scotland’s most recognisable summer visitors.
They can be seen around breeding colonies during this period before heading back out to sea later in the summer.
Look Out For Birds Of Prey
Keep an eye over lochs, fields and open countryside for birds of prey.
Ospreys can be particularly spectacular when hunting over water.
JULY
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Puffins
Gannets
Guillemots
Razorbills
Kittiwakes
Terns
Fulmars
Shags
Cormorants
Eiders
Gulls
Ospreys
Swallows
House martins
Sand martins
July is a month of change.
Some seabirds are still raising chicks, while others are already beginning to leave their breeding colonies and head back out to sea.
Look Out For Young Seabirds
Gannet chicks are becoming large and developing their distinctive juvenile plumage.
Shag juveniles may be seen gathering with adults, while gull and tern chicks begin to fledge.
Puffins Begin To Leave
Puffins spend only a short period on land each year.
In the Firth of Forth, puffins are largely gone from the breeding islands by the end of July as they return to life at sea.
The Cliffs Begin To Empty
Guillemots and razorbills head out to sea around the middle of July, while other species remain longer.
It is a fascinating point in the year because the huge breeding colonies that were packed with activity only weeks earlier are beginning to quieten.
AUGUST
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Gannets
Fulmars
Shags
Eiders
Gulls
Kittiwakes
Terns
Swallows
House martins
Sand martins
Ospreys
Turnstones
Redshanks
August marks the beginning of the transition towards autumn.
The First Winter Visitors Return
Some birds that have spent the summer further north begin appearing again.
In the Firth of Forth, turnstones and redshanks are among the first winter visitors to return.
This is a good reminder that bird migration doesn’t happen in one simple spring-and-autumn switch. Different species move at different times and some are already beginning their return journeys while summer visitors are still breeding.
Look Out For Gannet Chicks
Gannet chicks are now becoming large and increasingly recognisable as young birds.
By late summer, the breeding season is beginning to wind down for many seabirds.
Summer Migrants Are Still Here
Swallows, house martins and other summer visitors can still be seen across Scotland.
Some will soon begin their journeys south.
SEPTEMBER
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Gannets
Fulmars
Gulls
Kittiwakes
Shags
Cormorants
Eiders
Turnstones
Redshanks
Knot
Sanderlings
Purple sandpipers
Swallows
House martins
Ospreys
September is the beginning of the main autumn migration period.
Look Out For Birds Heading South
Many summer migrants begin leaving Scotland.
Swallows normally begin departing from September, although some can remain into October.
Other summer visitors also begin moving south as daylight shortens and conditions change.
Winter Visitors Begin To Build
As summer visitors leave, wintering birds begin arriving.
Shorebirds such as turnstones, redshanks, knot and sanderlings begin increasing again in suitable coastal areas.
Gannets Begin Their Journey South
The young gannets of the year are becoming fully fledged.
In the Firth of Forth, many begin leaving the Bass Rock and heading south, with most gannets eventually leaving the colony for winter.
OCTOBER
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Whooper swans
Pink-footed geese
Barnacle geese
Fieldfares
Redwings
Turnstones
Knot
Sanderlings
Redshanks
Purple sandpipers
Gulls
Cormorants
Divers
October brings a major change in Scotland’s birdlife as winter visitors become increasingly numerous.
The Geese Are Back
Large numbers of geese return to Scotland for the winter.
Pink-footed geese arrive from Iceland and Greenland, while Barnacle geese return from Arctic breeding grounds.
Look and listen for flocks moving overhead, particularly around suitable farmland and wetlands.
Look Out For Winter Thrushes
Fieldfares and redwings are among the winter visitors that can be encountered in Scotland.
They may be seen feeding in fields, hedgerows, woodland edges and areas with berries.
The Shorebird Numbers Build
Coastal areas and estuaries become increasingly important for wintering waders.
Mudflats and exposed shoreline provide food for birds such as knot, redshanks, turnstones and other waders.
NOVEMBER
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Whooper swans
Pink-footed geese
Barnacle geese
Fieldfares
Redwings
Turnstones
Knot
Redshanks
Purple sandpipers
Sanderlings
Divers
Goldeneye
Gulls
November is firmly into the winter bird season.
Look For Winter Flocks
Large groups of geese can be particularly impressive.
Listen for the sound of geese overhead and look across fields and wetlands for feeding flocks.
Look Along The Coast
Wintering shorebirds become increasingly important around Scotland’s coastline and estuaries.
Turnstones, knot, redshanks, purple sandpipers and sanderlings can be found feeding along suitable shores.
Grey Seals And Birds
Around places such as the Isle of May and the Firth of Forth, November can bring another spectacular wildlife event alongside the birds.
Grey seals gather for their breeding season and pups are born on the islands.
This isn’t a bird migration event, but it is one of the reasons coastal wildlife can be particularly interesting at this time of year.
DECEMBER
Keep Your Eyes Peeled For
Whooper swans
Pink-footed geese
Barnacle geese
Fieldfares
Redwings
Goldeneye
Divers
Turnstones
Knot
Redshanks
Purple sandpipers
Sanderlings
Oystercatchers
Gulls
December is a good month to experience Scotland’s winter birdlife.
Winter Visitors Are Now Well Established
The birds that arrived during autumn are now well into their winter stay.
Geese, swans, thrushes, ducks and waders can all be found in suitable habitats.
Look For Wintering Shorebirds
Wintering shorebird numbers can be particularly impressive.
Scotland’s mudflats, estuaries, rocky shores and beaches provide feeding opportunities for many species that have travelled south from northern breeding grounds.
Some Birds Are Already Preparing For Spring
Even in the depths of winter, the annual cycle never completely stops.
Some resident birds begin becoming increasingly territorial as the days slowly start to lengthen towards the end of winter.
Understanding Bird Migration
Bird migration is one of the most remarkable things you can witness while travelling around Scotland.
Birds don’t all migrate in the same direction, at the same time or for the same reason.
Some travel north in spring to breed before heading south again in autumn.
Others travel south to spend the winter in Scotland after breeding in much colder northern regions.
Some birds make extremely long journeys between continents, while others travel comparatively short distances.
Arriving From Iceland And Greenland
Scotland receives important winter visitors from the North Atlantic, including Whooper swans and Pink-footed geese.
Arriving From The Arctic
Barnacle geese and several species of wader travel from Arctic breeding areas to spend the winter further south.
Arriving From Africa
Some of Scotland’s summer migrants make extraordinary journeys between Scotland and Africa.
Swallows, house martins, swifts, cuckoos and several warblers are examples of birds associated with long-distance migration.
Heading North To Breed
The opposite journey takes place in spring.
Birds that have spent winter further south return to Scotland to breed, while some wintering birds leave Scotland for breeding grounds much further north.
Scotland Is Part Of A Much Bigger Journey
For many migratory birds, Scotland is only one part of an annual cycle.
A bird seen feeding on a Scottish beach in spring may have spent the winter thousands of miles away. A goose feeding in a Scottish field in December may have bred far to the north during the summer.
This is one of the things that makes seasonal birdwatching so interesting.
Nesting And Breeding
Spring and summer are important breeding seasons for many of Scotland’s birds.
You may see birds carrying nesting material, defending territories, incubating eggs or feeding young.
Seabird colonies can become particularly spectacular, with cliffs and islands supporting huge numbers of breeding birds.
The Firth of Forth is a particularly good example, with puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, shags, cormorants, eiders, gulls and terns among the birds associated with the breeding season.
Give Nesting Birds Space
A nesting bird may tolerate people at a distance but become stressed if someone approaches too closely.
Do not approach nests, chicks or breeding colonies simply to get a better photograph.
All wild birds in Great Britain are protected, and it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take a wild bird or interfere with a nest while it is being built or used. Some species receive additional protection.
Where To Look For Scottish Birds
Different habitats offer very different birdwatching opportunities.
Coast And Islands
Look for seabirds, gulls, waders, divers, ducks and migrating birds.
Scotland’s rocky islands and sea cliffs are particularly important during the summer breeding season.
Estuaries And Mudflats
These can be particularly productive during winter and migration periods.
Look for waders feeding along exposed mud, sand and rocky shores.
Lochs And Rivers
Watch for ducks, swans, geese, herons, ospreys and other freshwater birds.
Woodland
Look and listen for tits, finches, woodpeckers, owls and other woodland species.
Farmland And Open Countryside
Fields and grassland can attract geese, thrushes, lapwings, curlews, birds of prey and many smaller species.
Mountains And Moorland
Upland areas support a different group of birds, including specialist mountain and moorland species.
You Don’t Always Have To See The Bird
Birdwatching isn’t just about spotting a bird sitting in a tree.
Listen for calls and songs.
Look for birds flying overhead.
Watch feeding activity.
Look for feathers and other signs.
Watch the movement of flocks.
Look for birds around mudflats and exposed shoreline at low tide.
And sometimes, simply stopping somewhere quiet for a few minutes can reveal considerably more birdlife than rushing through.
A Note About Timing
Migration dates are not fixed appointments.
Weather conditions, food availability and conditions along migration routes can affect when birds arrive and depart.
Different individuals of the same species may also arrive at different times.
Climate change is also affecting the timing of some migrations. Recent BTO observations have recorded earlier spring arrivals for several summer migrants in some years, demonstrating why exact dates should be treated as a guide rather than a guarantee.
So if the calendar says a bird may arrive in April, that doesn’t mean you should expect every individual to appear on 1 April.
Keep your eyes peeled and enjoy whatever happens to be passing through.
Respecting Scotland’s Birds
While this calendar is designed to help you find and enjoy Scotland’s birds, please remember that they are wild animals.
Please don’t use this guide to track, approach, handle, feed or otherwise disturb birds.
In particular, take extra care around nesting colonies, nests and young birds.
Keep dogs under control where required, follow local access guidance and use established viewing points where available.
Enjoy the birds from a respectful distance and leave their habitats as you found them.
Leave no trace.
Planning A Birdwatching Trip Around Scotland
One of the great things about birdwatching in Scotland is the variety of habitats you can experience in a single trip.
You might begin around Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth, travel through the Central Belt, head into the Highlands, explore the islands or follow Scotland’s coastline.
Different seasons bring different opportunities, so planning a trip around a particular species or migration period can give you another reason to explore somewhere new.
For visitors coming from elsewhere in the UK or overseas, a campervan can also provide a flexible way to move between birdwatching locations without being tied to a single base.
How Can Scotlander Help?
Scotlander offers campervan and outdoor equipment hire near Edinburgh, giving visitors a practical starting point for exploring Scotland.
Our outdoor equipment hire can include tents, sleeping bags, camping mats, hiking equipment, cooking equipment and other outdoor essentials, depending on what you need for your trip.
This can be particularly useful for visitors travelling to Scotland by plane or public transport who want to spend time exploring the countryside without bringing all their camping equipment with them.
Collect your campervan and equipment near Edinburgh, then head out to explore Scotland’s coast, countryside, lochs, islands and mountains.
Whether you’re hoping to see puffins on a summer island trip, geese gathering in the winter countryside, an osprey hunting over a loch or simply the familiar robin in a Scottish garden, there is always something to keep your eyes peeled for.