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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.
Eurasian Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhula
1863
Common Rosefinch
Carpodacus erythrina
1906
European Greenfinch
Chloris chloris
sp
1858
Twite
Linaria flavirostris
Lintie
C
1791
Common Linnet
Linaria cannabina
u
1892
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammea
sp
1860
Lesser Redpoll
Acanthis cabaret
Arctic Redpoll
Acanthis hornemanni
1905
Parrot Crossbill
Loxia pytopsittacus
1960
Common Crossbill
Loxia curvirostra
1774
Two-barred Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
1859
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
sp
1929
Citril Finch
Carduelis citrinella
2008
F
European Serin
Serinus serinus
1914
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinus
sp
1865
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalis
Snaa Ful
poss #
1791
Lapland Bunting
Calcarius lapponicus
1892
Corn Bunting
Emberiza miliaria
Docken Sporrow
e
1769
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinella
1809
Pine Bunting
Emberiza leucocephalos
1911
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