Birds

The Northwich Woodlands are an excellent place for birdwatching, the variety of habitats attract a vast array of birds throughout the year with over 235 species recorded. There are seven birdwatching hides within the woodlands.

Definition of Terms

Vagrant
Recorded on less than five occasions
Rare Visitor
Recorded on more than five occasions but not annually
Occasional Visitor
Recorded most years
Passage Migrant
Recorded most years in Spring and / or Autumn
Summer Visitor
Annual Summer Visitor
Winter Visitor
Annual Winter Visitor
Resident
Recorded all year round

Alpine Swift (Apus melba) Vagrant
American Wigeon (Anas americana) Vagrant
Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus) Vagrant
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) Passage Migrant
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Regular Visitor
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Summer Visitor
Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) Rare Visitor
Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) Rare Visitor
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) Passage Migrant
Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica) Resident
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) Summer Visitor
Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) Vagrant
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) Resident
Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) Rare Visitor
Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) Rare Visitor
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) Passage Migrant
Black-throated Diver (Gavia arctica) Vagrant
Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) Vagrant - failed breeder
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Resident
Bohemian Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) Vagrant
Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) Rare Winter Visitor
Brent Goose (Branta bernicla) Vagrant
Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola falcinellus) Vagrant
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) Resident
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) Vagrant
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) Resident
Coal Tit (Periparus ater) Resident
Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) Resident
Common Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) Resident
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) Resident
Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) Summer Visitor
Common Coot (Fulica atra) Resident
Common Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) Rare Visitor
Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) Summer Visitor
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) Vagrant
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) Winter Visitor
Common Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia) Summer Visitor
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) Passage Migrant
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Resident
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) Resident
Common Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) Resident
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) Resident
Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) Resident
Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) Winter Visitor
Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix) Vagrant
Common Raven (Corvus corax) Resident
Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) Summer Visitor
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) Rare Visitor
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) Passage Migrant
Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra) Rare Visitor
Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) Resident Breeder
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) Winter Visitor
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Resident
Common Swift (Apus apus) Summer Visitor
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Passage Migrant
Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) Summer Visitor
Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) Resident
Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra) Rare Visitor
Corn Crake (Crex crex) Vagrant
Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) Passage Migrant
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) Passage Migrant
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) Vagrant
Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Resident
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) Regular Visitor
Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus) Vagrant
Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) Rare Visitor
Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) Resident
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) Resident
Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) Vagrant
Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) Summer Visitor
Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) Summer Visitor
Eurasian Siskin (Carduelis spinus) Winter Visitor
Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) Resident
Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) Vagrant
Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca) Winter Visitor
Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) Resident
Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) Resident
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) Winter Visitor
Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) Winter Visitor
European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria) Winter Visitor
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) Resident
European Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) Resident
European Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus) Vagrant
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) Resident
European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) Vagrant
European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) Rare Visitor; Former Breeder
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) Winter Visitor
Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla) Rare Winter Visitor
Franklin's Gull (Larus pipixcan) Vagrant
Gadwall (Anas strepera) Resident
Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin) Summer Visitor
Garganey (Anas querquedula) Rare Visitor
Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) Rare Visitor
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) Vagrant
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) Resident
Goosander (Mergus merganser) Winter Visitor
Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) Winter Visitor
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) Regular Visitor
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) Resident
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) Resident
Great Egret (Ardea alba) Vagrant
Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) Vagrant
Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer) Vagrant
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) Resident
Great Tit (Parus major) Resident
Greater Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Resident
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) Rare Winter Visitor
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) Rare Visitor
Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) Passage Migrant
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) Resident
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) Resident
Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) Resident
Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) Vagrant
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) Rare Visitor
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) Resident
Greylag Goose (Anser anser) Winter Visitor
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) Vagrant
Hedge Accentor (Prunella modularis) Resident
 
Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) Vagrant
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Regular Visitor
Hoopoe (Upupa epops) Vagrant
House Martin (Delichon urbicum) Summer Visitor
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Resident
Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) Rare Visitor
Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) Winter Visitor
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Vagrant
Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) Vagrant
Leach's Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) Vagrant
Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) Winter Visitor
Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis cabaret) Winter Visitor
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor) Resident
Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) Summer Visitor
Little Auk (Alle alle) Vagrant
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) Rare Visitor
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) Resident Breeder
Little Gull (Larus minutus) Passage Migrant
Little Owl (Athene noctua) Resident; Has bred
Little Plover (Charadrius dubius) Summer Visitor
Little Stint (Calidris minuta) Passage Migrant
Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) Vagrant
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Vagrant
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) Winter Visitor; Former Breeder
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) Vagrant
Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) Resident
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Resident
Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) Vagrant
Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) Vagrant
Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris) Vagrant
Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) Regular Visitor; Occasional Breeder
Mealy Redpoll (Carduelis flammea) Vagrant
Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus) Rare Visitor
Merlin (Falco columbarius) Rare Winter Visitor
Mew Gull (Larus canus) Winter Visitor
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) Resident
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) Resident
Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) Vagrant
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) Vagrant
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Rare Visitor
Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) Resident
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Winter Visitor
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) Winter Visitor
Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) Passage Migrant
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Passage Migrant
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) Vagrant
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Resident
Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) Occasional Visitor; Has Bred
Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) Passage Migrant
Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) Rare Visitor
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) Vagrant
Red Kite (Milvus milvus) Vagrant
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) Passage Migrant
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) Rare Winter Visitor
Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina) Winter Visitor
Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa) Rare Visitor
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) Vagrant
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) Vagrant
Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata) Vagrant
Redwing (Turdus iliacus) Winter Visitor
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) Resident
Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) Vagrant
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) Vagrant
Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) Summer Visitor
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) Vagrant
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) Resident
Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus) Rare Winter Visitor
Rook (Corvus frugilegus) Resident
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii) Vagrant
Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) Vagrant
Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) Vagrant
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) Resident
Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) Vagrant
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax ) Passage Migrant
Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) Summer Visitor
Sanderling (Calidris alba) Passage Migrant
Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) Passage Migrant
Scottish Crossbill (Loxia scotica) Rare Visitor
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) Summer Visitor
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) Winter Visitor
Sky Lark (Alauda arvensis) Resident
Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus) Rare Visitor
Smew (Mergellus albellus) Rare Winter Visitor
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) Vagrant
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) Resident
Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana) Rare Visitor
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) Summer Visitor
Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) Rare Visitor
Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) Vagrant
Stock Pigeon (Columba oenas) Resident
Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) Rare Visitor
Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) Resident
Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii) Rare Visitor
Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) Passage Migrant
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) Resident Breeder
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) Rare Winter Visitor
Twite (Carduelis flavirostris) Vagrant
Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) Vagrant
Water Pipit (Anthus spinoletta) Rare Winter Visitor
Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) Resident
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) Passage Migrant
Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) Passage Migrant
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) Vagrant
White / Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) Resident
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) Vagrant
White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) Vagrant
Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) Rare Winter Visitor
Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) Resident
Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) Summer Visitor
Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) Resident
Wood Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) Resident
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) Passage Migrant
Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) Passage Migrant
Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) Summer Visitor
Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) Vagrant
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) Resident
Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) Rare Visitor