Rare Birds of London

A Summary List of the Rare Birds of London and a pdf of Detailed Records
The ‘London Recording Area’ of the LNHS is surprisingly rich for birds with a total of 370 species recorded to date. Listed below are 196 species of birds for which records have to be submitted to the LNHS Rarities Committee for the inclusion of records in the annual London Bird Report.

A detailed list of records of these 196 species published in the London Bird Report up to 2015 can be downloaded from this link.

To download the rarity list of 196 species listed below as a pdf, click here.

The Rare Birds of London: Summary List

Ducks, Geese and Swans, Anatidae
1.	Bewick’s Swan  Cygnus columbianus
2.	Whooper Swan  Cygnus cygnus
3.	Bean Goose  Anser fabalis
4.	Pink-footed Goose  Anser brachyrhynchus
5.	Snow Goose  Anser caerulescens
6.	Red-breasted Goose  Branta ruficollis
7.	Brent Goose  Branta bernicla Sub-species: Pale-bellied Brent Goose B. b. hrota Sub-species: Black Brant B. b. nigricans
8.	Barnacle Goose  Branta leucopsis
9.	American Wigeon  Anas americana
10.	Green-winged Teal  Anas carolinensis
11.	Blue-winged Teal  Anas discors
12.	Ring-necked Duck  Aythya collaris
13.	Ferruginous Duck  Aythya nyroca
14.	Lesser Scaup  Aythya affinis
15.	Common Eider  Somateria mollissima
16.	King Eider  Somateria spectabilis
17.	Long-tailed Duck  Clangulahyemalis
18.	Velvet Scoter  Melanitta fusca
Grouse, Pheasants and Partridges, Phasianidae
19.	Black Grouse  Tetrao tetrix
Divers, Gaviidae
20.	Red-throated Diver  Gavia stellata
21.	Black-throated Diver  Gavia arctica
Grebes, Podicipedidae
22.	Pied-billed Grebe  Podilymbus podiceps
Petrels and Shearwaters, Procellariidae
23.	Northern Fulmar  Fulmarus glacialis
24.	Manx Shearwater  Puffinus puffinus
25.	Balearic Shearwater  Puffinus mauretanicus
26.	Barola Shearwater  Puffinus baroli
27.	European Storm-petrel  Hydrobates pelagicus
28.	Leach’s Storm-petrel  Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Gannets, Sulidae
29.	Northern Gannet  Morus bassanus
Herons and Bitterns, Aredeidae
30.	Little Bittern  Ixobrychus minutus
31.	Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax
32.	Squacco Heron  Ardeola ralloides
33.	Cattle Egret  Bubulcus ibis
34.	Great Egret  Ardea alba
35.	Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea
Storks, Ciconiidae
36.	Black Stork  Ciconia nigra
37.	White Stork  Ciconia ciconia
Ibises and Spoonbills, Threskiornithidae
38.	Glossy Ibis  Plegadis falcinellus
39.	Spoonbill  Platalea leucorodia
Osprey, Kites, Hawks and Eagles, Accipitridae
40.	Honey Buzzard  Pernis apivorus
41.	Black Kite  Milvus migrans
42.	White-tailed Eagle  Haliaeetus albicilla
43.	Hen Harrier  Circus cyaneus
44.	Montagu’s Harrier  Circus pygargus
45.	Harrier sp Not given
46.	Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
47.	Rough-legged Buzzard  Butoe lagopus
48.	Golden Eagle  Aquila chrysaetos
49.	Lesser Kestrel  Falco naumanni
50.	Red-footed Falcon  Falco vespertinus
51.	Merlin  Falco columbarius
52.	Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus
Rails, Waterhens and Coots, Rallidae
53.	Spotted Crake  Porzana porzana
54.	Little Crake  Porzana parva
55.	Baillon’s Crake  Porzana pusilla
56.	Corncrake Crex crex
Cranes, Gruidae
57.	Common Crane  Grus grus
Bustards, Otidae
58.	Great Bustard  Otis tarda
Stilts and Avocets, Recurvirostridae
59.	Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus
Thick-knees, Burhinidae
60.	Stone-curlew  Burhinus oedicnemus
Coursers and Pratincoles, Glareolidae
61.	Cream-coloured Courser  Cursorius cursor
62.	Collared Pratincole  Glareola pratincola
Plovers, Charadriidae
63.	Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
64.	Kentish Plover  Charadrius alexandrinus
65.	Dotterel Charadrius morinellus
66.	American Golden Plover  Pluvialis dominica
67.	Pacific Golden Plover  Pluvialis fulva
68.	Sociable Lapwing  Vanellus gregarius
69.	White-tailed Lapwing  Vanellus leucurus
Sandpipers and Snipe, Scolopacidae
70.	Western Sandpiper  Calidris mauri
71.	Temminck’s Stint  Calidris temminckii
72.	White-rumped Sandpiper  Calidris fuscicollis
73.	Baird’s Sandpiper  Calidris bairdii
74.	Pectoral Sandpiper  Calidris melanotos
75.	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper  Calidrisacuminata
76.	Purple Sandpiper  Calidris maritima
77.	Broad-billed Sandpiper  Limicola falcinellus
78.	Buff-breasted Sandpiper  Tryngites subruficollis
79.	Great Snipe  Gallinago media
80.	Long-billed Dowitcher  Limnodromus scolopaceus
81.	Spotted Sandpiper  Actitis macularius
82.	Solitary Sandpiper  Tringa solitaria
83.	Lesser Yellowlegs  Tringa flavipes
84.	Marsh Sandpiper  Tringa stagnatilis
85.	Wilson’s Phalarope  Phalaropus tricolor
86.	Red-necked Phalarope  Phalaropus lobatus
87.	Grey Phalarope  Phalaropus fulicarius
Skuas, Stercorariidae
88.	Pomarine Skua  Stercorarius pomarinus
89.	Arctic Skua  Stercorarius parasiticus
90.	Long-tailed Skua  Stercorarius longicaudus
91.	Great Skua  Stercorarius skua
Gulls and Terns, Laridae
92.	Sabine’s Gull  Xema sabini
93.	Bonaparte’s Gull  Chroicocephalus philadelphia
94.	Laughing Gull  Larus atricilla
95.	Franklin’s Gull  Larus pipixcan
96.	Ring-billed Gull  Larus delawarensis
97.	Ring-billed Gull  Larus delawarensis
98.	Caspian Gull  Larus cachinnans
99.	Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides or Glaucous Gull  Larus hyperboreus
100.	Iceland Gull  Larus glaucoides Sub-species: Kumlien’s Gull L. g. kumlieni
101.	Slaty-backed Gull  Larus schistisagus
102.	Glaucous-winged Gull  Larus glaucescens
103.	Glaucous Gull  Larus hyperboreus
104.	Sooty Tern  Onychoprion fuscatus
105.	Bridled Tern  Onychoprion anaethetus
106.	Gull-billed Tern  Gelochelidon nilotica
107.	Caspian Tern  Hydroprogne caspia
108.	Whiskered Tern  Chlidonias hybrida
109.	White-winged Black Tern  Chlidonias leucopterus
110.	Roseate Tern  Sterna dougallii
Auks, Alcidae
111.	Common Guillemot  Uria aalge
112.	Razorbill  Alca torda
113.	Black Guillemot  Cepphus grylle
114.	Little Auk  Alle alle
115.	Puffin Fratercula arctica
Sandgrouse, Pteroclidae
116.	Pallas’s Sandgrouse  Syrrhaptes paradoxus
Cuckoos, Cuculidae
117.	Yellow-billed Cuckoo  Coccyzus americanus
Owls, Strigidae
118.	Scops Owl  Otus scops
119.	Snowy Owl  Bubo scandiacus
120.	Tengmalm’s Owl  Aegolius funereus
Nightjars, Caprimulgidae
121.	European Nightjar  Caprimulgus europaeus
122.	Common Nighthawk  Chordeiles minor
Swifts, Apodidae
123.	Alpine Swift  Apus melba
Bee-eaters, Meropidae
124.	European Bee-eater  Merops apiaster
Rollers, Coraciidae
125.	European Roller  Coracias garrulus
Hoopoes, Upupidae
126.	Hoopoe Upupa epops
Woodpeckers, Picidae
127.	Wryneck Jynx torquilla
Larks, Alaudidae
128.	Short-toed Lark  Calandrella brachydactyla
129.	Crested Lark  Galerida cristata
130.	Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris
Swallows and Martins, Hirundinidae
131.	Red-rumped Swallow  Cecropis daurica
Wagtails and Pipits, Motacillidae
132.	Richard’s Pipit  Anthus richardi
133.	Tawny Pipit  Anthus campestris
134.	Olive-backed Pipit  Anthus hodgsoni
135.	Red-throated Pipit  Anthus cervinus
136.	Buff-bellied Pipit  Anthus rubescens
137.	Yellow Wagtail  Motacilla flava Sub-species: Blue-headed Wagtail  M. f. flava
138.	Citrine Wagtail  Motacilla citreola
139.	Pied Wagtail  Motacilla alba Sub-species: White Wagtail  M. a. alba
Dippers, Cinclidae
140.	Dipper Cincluscinclus
Accentors, Prunellidae
141.	Alpine Accentor  Prunella collaris
Chats and Flycatchers, Muscicapidae
142.	Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
143.	Black-eared Wheatear  Oenanthe hispanica
144.	Desert Wheatear  Oenanthe deserti
145.	Grey-cheeked Thrush  Catharus minimus
146.	Hermit Thrush  Catharus guttatus
147.	Naumann’s Thrush  Turdus naumanni
148.	American Robin  Turdus migratorius
149.	Red-breasted Flycatcher  Ficedula parva
Warblers, Sylviidae
150.	Savi’s Warbler  Locustella luscinioides
151.	Aquatic Warbler  Acrocephalus paludicola
152.	Paddyfield Warbler  Acrocephalus agricola
153.	Blyth’s Reed Warbler  Acrocephalus dumetorum
154.	Marsh Warbler  Acrocephalus palustris
155.	Icterine Warbler  Hippolais icterina
156.	Melodious Warbler  Hippolais polyglotta
157.	Barred Warbler  Sylvia nisoria
158.	Subalpine Warbler  Sylvia cantillans
159.	Sardinian Warbler  Sylvia melanocephala
160.	Eastern Crowned Warbler  Phylloscopus coronatus
161.	Pallas’s Warbler  Phylloscopusproregulus
162.	Yellow-browed Warbler  Phylloscopus inornatus
163.	Hume’s Warbler  Phylloscopus humei
164.	Radde’s Warbler  Phylloscopus schwarzi
165.	Dusky Warbler  Phylloscopus fuscatus
166.	Common Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus collybita Sub-species: Siberian Chiffchaff  P. c. tristis
167.	Iberian Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus ibericus
Tits, Paridae
168.	Crested Tit  Lophophanes cristatus
169.	Willow Tit  Poecile palustris
Penduline Tits, Remizidae
170.	Penduline Tit  Remiz pendulinus
Treecreepers, Serthiidae
171.	Short-toed Treecreeper  Certhia brachydactyla
Orioles, Oriolidae
172.	Golden Oriole  Oriolus oriolus
Shrikes, Laniidae
173.	Brown Shrike  Lanius cristatus
174.	Isabelline Shrike  Lanius isabellinus
175.	Red-backed Shrike  Lanius collurio
176.	Lesser Grey Shrike  Lanius minor
177.	Great Grey Shrike  Lanius excubitor
178.	Woodchat Shrike  Lanius senator
Crows and Jays, Corvidae
179.	Nutcracker Nucifragacaryoccatactes
180.	Hooded Crow  Corvus cornix
Starlings, Sturnidae
181.	Rose-coloured Starling  Sturnus roseus
Finches, Fringilidae
182.	European Serin  Serinus serinus
183.	Twite Carduelis flavirostris
184.	Arctic Redpoll  Carduelis hornemanni
185.	Two-barred Crossbill  Loxia leucoptera
186.	Parrot Crossbill  Loxia pytyopsittacus
187.	Common Rosefinch  Carpodacus erythrinus
188.	Pine Grosbeak  Pinicola enucleator
Buntings, Emberizidae
189.	Lapland Bunting  Calcarius lapponicus
190.	Snow Bunting  Plectrophenax nivalis
191.	Pine Bunting  Emberiza leucocephalos
192.	Cirl Bunting  Emberiza cirlus
193.	Ortolan Bunting  Emberiza hortulana
194.	Rustic Bunting  Emberiza rustica
195.	Little Bunting  Emberiza pusilla
196.	Black-headed Bunting  Emberiza melanocephala

 

Picture Credits

Brown Shrike, Staines Moor 17 December 2009 (c) Andrew Moon

Nightjar, Teddington 10 June 2006 (c) Andrew Moon

Little Bittern, Stocker's Lake 16 June 2012 (c) Andrew Moon

Notes

This page in the blog is a test page. For details of the London Bird Club visit the London Natural History Society.