Skye Birds - A Birding Guide to the Isle of Skye

The Skye Birds Species List

For those new to lists of this nature, the species list and scientific names which follow are listed in the Voous sequence. Some of the names may be unfamiliar, but follow the recent recommendations of the British Ornithologists Union which have been adopted by the Scottish Ornithologists Club.  Historical records have been included where there is a reasonable provenance. Otherwise, rarer species have only been included where the record has been published in official reports such as the Atlases, or accepted by the Local Recorder or, in appropriate cases, the Scottish Records Committee.  Three committees oversee rare records.  The Highland Records Committee (HRC) for local rarities; the Scottish Birds Records Committee (SBRC) for scottish rarities (http://www.the-soc.org.uk/sbrc.htm); and the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) for british rarities (http://www.bbrc.org.uk/).  Rarities have been identified in the species list by the use of the appropriate committee initials.  In respect of these rare birds, and others not listed, a full description will be required.  Photographic evidence can also be extremely helpful.

Because Skye has never been a recording area in its own right, and is part of the wider Highland recording area, it is accepted that this 'list' may be incomplete.  We welcome any additions and will update things as we go. As things stand the Skye species list shown below stands at 248, and an effort has also been made to comment on status.

248 results.   Displaying 81 to 100. VIEW ALL

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Species Image Details
Spotted crake (Porzana porzana) Very rare summer visitor. (HRC)
Corncrake (Crex crex) View Image Summer visitor which breeds in small numbers.
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) Breeds in small numbers and rare winter visitor.
Common Coot (Fulica atra) View Image Bred formerly. Rare vagrant.
Common Crane (Grus grus) View Image Rare and accidental passage migrant. (HRC)
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) View Image Common breeding resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.
Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) View Image Breeding resident. Also occurs on passage and as a winter visitor.
Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) View Image Rare passage migrant.
European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria) View Image Breeds. Passage migrant. Rare in winter.
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) View Image A regular winter visitor in small numbers.
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) View Image Breeds in small numbers. Occurs as a passage migrant, rare in winter.
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) View Image Regular passage migrant in late summer/autumn.
Sanderling (Calidris alba) View Image Rare passage migrant in late summer/autumn.
Little Stint (Calidris minuta) View Image Very rare passage migrant.
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) Scarce North American vagrant. (HRC)
Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) View Image Passage migrant which is now recorded annually.
Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola falcinellus) View Image A single record in 2010. (BBRC)
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) View Image Rare winter visitor.
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) View Image Breeds. Common passage migrant. Winters in small numbers.
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) Rare passage migrant

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Black Kite

A Black Kite seen by Dan Brown west of Portree on 30th May 2010 has been accepted by the SBRC and becomes No.248 on the Skye list.  Dan took photographs of the bird, described as a tatty adult, and these were submitted by RMcM to SBRC and the record has now been accepted on the basis of the photographic evidence alone.  Whilst this underscores the importance of obtaining images of rare species it is unfortunate that some observers, despite promptings by the Recorder, seem reluctant to submit descriptions.

Bean Goose

The "tundra" Bean Goose fround by Bob McMillan in Eilean Chaluim Chille, Kilmuir, Trotternish, on  13.1.12      has been accepted by the Highland Records Committee.  It therefore becomes No.247 on the Skye list.  The bird associated with Greylag geese and remained for several weeks.

Red-rumped Swallow

The bird seen and photographed at Talisker House by Ian Fulton on 29th June 2011 has now been accepted by the SBRC and is No 246 on the Skye list - see Blog.

Black Stork

A Black Stork seen by C&H Lewis at Waternish Point on 31st May 2010 is No. 245 on the Skye list and has been accepted by the BBRC.  This bird had been ringed as a chick in northern Hungary in 2007.  It was a wandering bird and also seen elsewhere in the Highlands, in the Western Isles and also on Shetland.  This was a different bird from one seen later in the year at Kyle of Lochalsh (see Blog)

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