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Shetland Bird List

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The table contains a complete list of the 473 bird species recorded in Shetland, including the year of the first record and, where relevant, Shetland name, breeding status and category.

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Key to breeding status:

 

C: common (50+ pairs)

u: uncommon but annual (fewer than 50 pairs)

sp: sporadic

e: extinct (regular or sporadic with no 21st century records)

poss: possible breeding spp.

hyb: only bred as part of a hybrid pair

Key to category:

 

C: Category C (not native/introduced)

D: Category D (uncertain provenance)

O: only seen offshore

X: globally extinct

F: only recorded on Fair Isle

P: provisional (believed to have occurred but no accepted records)

Species
Scientific Name
Shetland Name
Breeding Status
First Record
Cat.
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
1976
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
e
1936
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
1968
Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus
2014
F
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii
hyb #
1974
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Tirrick
u
1890
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Tirrick
C
1769
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
1967
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
1844
Great Skua
Stercorarius skua
Bonxie
C
1774
Pomarine Skua
Stercorarius pomarinus
1860
Arctic Skua
Stercorarius parasiticus
Skootie Aalin; Shooi
C
1700
Long-tailed Skua
Stercorarius longicauda
1848
Little Auk
Alle alle
Rotchie
1806
Brünnich’s Guillemot
Uria lomvia
1968
Common Guillemot
Uria aalge
Longwi; Loom
C
1684
Razorbill
Alca torda
Sea Craa; Wylkie
C
1769
Great Auk
Pinguinis impennis
e
1798
X
Black Guillemot
Cepphus grylle
Tystie
C
1769
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arctica
Tammie Norie
C
1700
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