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 247, and an effort has also been made to comment on status.

247 results.   Displaying 101 to 120. VIEW ALL

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Species Image Details
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) View Image A common breeding resident. Also occurs on passage.
Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) Breeds in small numbers. Common passage migrant and winter visitor.
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) View Image A rare passage migrant in late summer.
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) View Image A regular passage migrant. Small numbers winter.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) View Image A common passage migrant, particularly in late spring.
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) View Image Breeds locally. A common passage migrant and winter visitor.
Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) View Image A scarce passage migrant.
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) View Image A rare breeding resident. Common passage migrant and winter visitor.
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) View Image Breeds commonly. Passage migrant and winter visitor.
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) View Image Accidental North American visitor. (BBRC)
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) View Image Scarce passage migrant.
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) Very rare passage migrant.
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucus) View Image Very common summer visitor.
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) This extremely rare and accidental visitor from North America has attempted to breed. (BBRC)
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) View Image Common winter visitor and passage migrant..
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) View Image Very scarce passage migrant.
Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarious) View Image Scarce passage migrant though large numbers recorded in 2008. (HRC)
Pomarine Skua (Stercorarius pomarinus) View Image Rare passage migrant.
Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parisiticus) View Image An occasional passage migrant in spring, more frequent from late summer.
Long-tailed Skua (Stercorarius longicaudus) A scarce passage migrant in spring and autumn. (HRC juveniles)

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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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