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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.
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedorum
1985
Coal Tit
Periparus ater
1936
Eurasian Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
1860
Great Tit
Parus major
1874
Bearded Tit
Panurus biarmicus
1998
Woodlark
Lullula arborea
1844
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensis
Laverek
C
1733
Crested Lark
Galerida cristata
1952
F
Shore Lark
Eremophila alpestris
1906
Greater Short-toed Lark
Calandrella brachydactyla
1907
Bimaculated Lark
Melanocorypha bimaculata
1976
F
Calandra Lark
Melanocorypha calandra
1978
Sand Martin
Riparia riparia
1837
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
2002
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
u
1803
Eurasian Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne rupestris
2018
F
Common House Martin
Delichon urbicum
sp
1822
Red-rumped Swallow
Cecropis daurica
1906
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatus
1860
Wood Warbler
Phylloscopus sibilatrix
1907
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