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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.
Alpine Swift
Tachymarptis melba
1962
Common Swift
Apus apus
1822
Pallid Swift
Apus pallidus
2001
Little Swift
Apus affinis
1991
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
1930
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
1935
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops persicus
1997
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
1899
Eurasian Hoopoe
Upupa epops
1860
Eurasian Wryneck
Jynx torquilla
1832
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minor
2012
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos major
1845
Lesser Kestrel
Falco naumanni
1987
Common Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
sp
1822
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
1976
F
Red-footed Falcon
Falco vespertinus
1955
Merlin
Falco columbarius
Smyril; Peerie Hawk
u #
1774
Eurasian Hobby
Falco subbuteo
1860
Saker Falcon
Falco cherrug
1976
D
Gyrfalcon
Falco rusticolus
1822
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