Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Limosa (species specific name) haemastica ("bloody)

Moulting adult Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) at Cattawade, Suffolk - August 2026

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 300g  /  Length: 37-42cm  /  Wingspan: 74cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 

Arguably the most remote and understudied of the four godwit species, they breed in largely remote near coastal bogs of Alaska and Canada before migrating to the very south of South America, primarily along the Argentinian Coast. This bird was a very off course vagrant having somehow found its way to the UK, where less than 10 individuals have ever been recorded.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Limosa
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Extremely infrequent vagrant.

 - Birds seen at Cattawade, Suffolk 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

OTHER NAMES: Southern Waxwing, Canada Robimn, cedar Bird, Cherry Bird, Recellet
Latin Etymology: Bombycilla ("silk tail") cedrorum ("of cedars")

 

Adult Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) at Writing--on-stone, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: g/kg  /  Length: 15-16cm  /  Wingspan: 22-30cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The most common Waxwing species of North America, the Cedar Waxwing lacks some of the intense flashes of colour of it's more circumpolar Bohemian counterpart, but in exchange has a lemon yellow underside. They are found at various times of the year across from Canada down to the North West of South America. They are frequently numerous, often being one of the more common species at some sites.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Bombycillidae
Genus: Bombycilla
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA - A common breeding species in the Southern Provinces
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen throughout much of the trip.

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Northerly parts of the Lower 48, Winters in lower parts.
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: : Seen throughout much of the trip. 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sula (Old Norse for Gannet) leucogaster ("white abdomen")

Adult male Brown Booby (subspecies S. l. leucogaster) at South Gare, Yorkshire - September 2023

Featured Subspecies: Sula leucogaster leucogaster
Weight: 1-1.3kg  /  Length: 64-74cm  /  Wingspan: 140-150cm
NO UK STATUS/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Tees estuary would perhaps not be the first place one would seek to look for a tropical seabird, but after a number of sightings of the species around the UK in 2023, this bird decided to settle on the marker buoys surrounding the spit of South Gate to the south of the estuary. It's range is more usually equatorial, spanning the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and where this individual likely originated from the Central Atlantic. 

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Sulidae
Genus: Sula
SUBSPECIES: S. l. leucogaster, S. l. plotus, S. l. brewsteri, S. l. etesiaca

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A very rare vagrant
 - A lingering vagrant bird seen at South Gare in September 2023 .

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") delawarensis ("of the Delaware river")

 
Adult Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 300-700g  /  Length: 43-54cm  /  Wingspan: 105-117cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

An incredibly widely distributed and adaptable gull species which can be found in any part of the lower 48, it represents one of the smaller Larus species. They are an adaptable species that has succeeded in many human created habitats, and is also traditionally one of the North American species that has the biggest history of vagrancy to Europe.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in Northern States, Winters in Coastl and Southern Ones
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward and Berkeley

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

American Coot (Fulica americana)

OTHER NAMES: Mud Hen, Poldeau
Latin Etymology: Fulica ("coot") americana ("American") 

Adult American Coot (subspecies Fulica americana americana) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Fulica americana americana
Weight: 420-850g /  Length: 34-43cm  /  Wingspan: 58-71cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

It would be lying to say the coots were an especially visually diverse genus, and indeed the American Coot is, in broad impression, very much like the Eurasian Coot although in this instance with slight hints of yellow and red at the top edge of the frontal shield. It's range covered most of the continental USA and the Carribean, as well as parts of South America.

Related Species:
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Fulica
SUBSPECIES: F. a. americana, F. a. columbiana

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
A widespread and abundant species resident in much of the country, and breeding visitor to the majority of the rest.
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley and San Francisco

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)

OTHER NAMES: Black-backed Gull, Southern Black-backed Gull, Mollyhawk, Karoro
Latin Etymology: Larus ("Gull") dominicanus (black and white, in allusion to Dominican Friars)

Second Summer Kelp Gull (subspecies Larus dominicanus vetula) at Grafham Water - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Cape Gull (Larus dominicanus vetula)
Weight: 900-1000g

Length: 54-65cm

Wingspan: 128-142cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

I must admit, had I not seen reports of this bird near to me, I would never have noticed it in the field on my own - very similar in appearance to the Great Black Backed gull and not previously recorded in the UK! To more trained eyes than mine however, the gentler face and the long blue-tinged legs were enough to identify this as a species more typically found roaming the Souther hemisphere where itis found along the coasts of Southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and even Antarctica.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus

SUBSPECIES: L. d. dominicanus, L. d. vetula, L. d. austrinus, L. d. judithae, L. d. melisandae

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - This bird is the first known vagrant to rhe UK

 - A vagrant bird at Grafham Water in August 2022

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto 

.

Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Falco ("falcon") eleonorae (named for Eleonor of Arborea)

Second Year Female Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae) at Worth Marshes, Kent- June 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 390g  /  Length: 36-42cm  /  Wingspan: 87-104cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Eleonora's falcon is a somewhat unusual species of falcon in how specialised it is - it breeds almost exclusively on rocky offshore islands of the Mediterranean, then following migrating prey species to Mozambique and Madagascar in the Winter. It feels somewhat like an intermediary species between Hobby and Peregrine in size and buils, although unlike either it comes in multiple colour morphs. This individual was an extremely rare vagrant to the UK that actually stuck around long enough to be twitchable.

Related Species:
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An extremely rare vagrant.

 - Seen at Worth Marshes (a vagrant in June 2022)

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)

OTHER NAMES: Black-browed Mollymawk

Latin Etymology: Thalassarche ("sea governer") melanophris ("black eyebrow")

Adult Black-browed Albatross (subspecies T. m. melanophris) at Bempton Cliffs- East Yorkshire - April 2022

Featured Subspecies: Thelassarche melanophirs melanophris
Weight: 2.9-4.7kg  

Length: 85-90cm   

Wingspan: 200-240cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The albatrosses are an iconic family of birds - they contain among their ranks some of the largest flying birds on earth with the greatest wingspans. They are also, however, conspicuously absent from the North Atlantic, being found in the Southern Hemisphere and North Pacific. There are, however, exceptions, like Albert here - odd Black-browed Albatross have been known to make their way into the North Atlantic, often associating with specific gannet colonies for years at a time. The Black-browed are no where near the largest species, but do dwarf birds like Gannets which are the largest British seabirds.

Related Species:
Order: Procellariiformes
Family: Diomedeidae
Genus: Thalassarche
SUBSPECIES: T. m. melanophris, T. m. impavida

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An extremely rare vagrant, although odd individuals are known to recur annually fpr years at a time.

 - Seen at Bempton Cliffs in April 2022.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus)

OTHER NAMES: White-tailed Plover
Latin Etymology: Vanellus ("lapwing") leucurus ("white tailed")

Adult White-tailed Plover (Vanellus leucurus) at Frampton Marshes, Lincolnshire - March 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 130g  /  Length: 26-29cm  /  Wingspan: 55-70cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The White-tailed Lapwing breeds largely in central Asia and the Middle East - predominantly in inland marshes of Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with more isolated populations in a few other countries. Many populations are migratory, heading to North-East Africa and the Indian subcontinent in Winter, which is presumably where this particular individual got very lost and ended up turning up in the UK. As of writing it has been present along the East Coast for a few months, but it was only when it came a little nearer to me at Frampton I took the shot to go see it.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadriidae
Genus: Vanellus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A very rare vagrant

 - Vagrant seen at Frampton Marshes in March 2022.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)

OTHER NAMES: Northern Wryneck, Wryneck
Latin Etymology: Jynx (derived from Ancient Greek name for species) torquilla ("to twist")

Adult Eurasian Wryneck (subspecies J. t. torquilla) at Borough Hill, Daventry - May 2021

Featured Subspecies: Jynx torquilla torquilla
Weight: 30-45g  /  Length: 16-17cm  /  Wingspan: 25-27cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

Arguably the most cryptic regular species to be found in the UK, the Eurasian Wryneck is, despite appearances, a species of specialised woodpecker, adapted for feeding on ants on the ground. They were formerly a fairly widespread breeder, but are considered extinct in the UK in that capacity, although still seen on passage anually, with sporafic breeding attempts. Their names comes from the unusal twisting motion of the neck when startled.

Related Species:
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Jynx
SUBSPECIES: J. t. torquilla, J. t. tschusii, J. t. mauretanica, J. t. himalayana 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A former breeding Summer migrant, now an occasional breeder and passage migrant

 - A bird on passage seen at Borough Hill, Daventry in May 2021.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus)

OTHER NAMES: Western Red-footed Falcon
Latin Etymology: Falco ("falcon") vespertinus ("evening")

Second Year Male Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) at Kinewell Lake, Northamptonshire - May 2020

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 155g  /  Length: 27-32cm  /  Wingspan: 65-75cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

The Red-footed Falcon is a distinctive looking species within its European range - the males are ashen with orange beak, legs and rump, while the females are an unusual mix of tan and grey markings.  They are highly migratory, breeding on Eastern Europe and Russia, and then migrating down to southern Africa in Winter.  Unlike most other European falcons, they sometimes breed colonially. 

Related Species:
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An annually occuring vagrant

 - A vagrant at Kinewell Lake 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)

OTHER NAMES: Indian Iora, Black-winged Iora, Small Iora, Ceylon Iora
Latin Etymology: Aegithina (a mythical bird mentioned by Aristotle) tiphia (possibly "tiara")

Non-breeding Adult female Common Iora (subspecies A. t. horizoptera) at Ang Mo Kio, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Aegithinia tiphia horizoptera
Weight: 13.5g  /  Length: 12.5-13.5cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

Despite the cosmetic similarity to the sunbirds, the iora are a small family of just four species that seem to be fairly detatched from other passerines.  The Common Iora is as it's name suggests, the most common species of the four, found throughout much of South Asia. The male is a bit more a striking bird with high contrast plumage of yellow, black and white.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Aegithinidae
Genus: Aegithina
SUBSPECIES: A. t. multicolor, A. t. deignani, A. t. humei, A. t. tiphia, A. t. septentrionalis, A. t. philipi, A. t.  cambodiana, A. t. horizoptera, A. t. scapularis, A. t. viridis, A. t. aequanimis

 - Sighting Locations -

SINGAPORE 
A reasonably common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One in Ang Mo Kio.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata)

OTHER NAMES: Plain Wren-warbler, White-browed Wren-warbler
Latin Etymology: Prinia (originally Javan name for Bar-winged Prinia) inornata ("plain")

Adult breeding plumage Plain Prinia (subspecies P. i. herberti) at Phnom Krom, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Prinia inornata herberti
Weight: 6-9g  /  Length: 11-15cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Plain Prinia is a small long-tailed warbler found over Soutern Asia, unlike most Eurasian Warblers it's plumage is similar in both genders but changes with the seasons, with this Winter bird being grey backed while they change to a warm nut brown back while in the Summer.  They are primarily lowland birds, and so it is fairly typical that this bird was sighted in a bush at Phnom Krom.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cisticolidae
Genus: Prinia
SUBSPECIES: P. i. terricolor, P. e. inornata, P. i. franklinii, P. i. insularis, P. i. fusca, P. i. extrensicauda, P. i. blanfordi, P. i. herberti, P. i. flavirostris, P. i. blythi

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ចាបដង្កូវចិញ្ចើមស ("white feathers")

Locally resident

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - One at Phnom Krom

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Phylloscopus ("leaf seeker") inornatus ("plain")

Adult Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus) at Siem Reap, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: None - monotypic
Weight: 7g  /  Length: 10-11cm  /  Wingspan: 17cm
NOT PRESENT IN UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A small, almost goldcrest like warbler with a very wide range of locations.  They breed in North-East Asia, but has a vast passage range covering almost all of Eurasia.  It occurs as a regular passage migrant in the UK, and I'd missed a couple of attempts to catch up with them as they headed for their Wintering grounds in Iberia and the West Coast of Africa.  However, a second area of Wintering is South-East Asia, and it is here I encountered this bird in a tree in the gardens of our hotel in Siem Reap.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Phylloscopidae
Genus: Phylloscopus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

  - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ចាបដូនតាចិញ្ចើមលឿង ("Yellow Eyebrowed Grandfather")  

A fairly common Wintering species.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One seen at Siem Reap

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Dusky Warbler (Phylloscopus fuscatus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Phylloscopus ("leaf seeker") fuscatus ("dark")

Adult Dusky Warbler (unknown subspecies) at Siem Reap, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Unknown
Weight: 7-12g  /  Length: 11-12cm  /  Wingspan: 17-18cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The dusky warbler is a leaf warbler of East Asia, breeding in bogs of taiga of Siberia and adjacent areas.  It has a very impressive vagrancy record, possibly as a result of being such a tiny bird with a logn migration route, it has ended up in such disparate places as the UK and California.  There are several subspecies, but as all of them are known to Winter in Indochina, it's impossible to say which one of them this particular bird was.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Phylloscopidae
Genus: Phylloscopus
SUBSPECIES: P. f. fuscatus, P. f. robustus

  - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ចាបដូនតាខ្នងត្នោត ("Brown sparrow")

A fairly common Wintering species.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One seen at Siem Reap

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Oriental Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Acrocephalus ("topmost head") orientalis ("of the orient")

Adult Oriental Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 18-47g  /  Length: 18-20cm  /  Wingspan: 23-26cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While the name I'd heard in advance made me imagine another small reed-type warbler, this is actually a recent split from the Great Reed Warbler - a giant amongst warblers more on the scale of a redwing - far far bigger than any resident warbler of the UK.  It is highly migratory, breeding in Mongolia, North-East China, Korea, Japan and Siberia, and wintering in South-East Asia where I saw it. 

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Acrocephalidae
Genus: Acrocephalus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ចាបដូនតា ("grandfather")

A non-breeding migrant.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - One seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Striated Grassbird (Megalurus palustris)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Megalurus ("great tailed") palustris ("marshy")

Adult Striated Grassbird (subspecies M. p. toklao) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Megalurus palustris toklao
Weight: 38-56g  /  Length: 22-28cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Perhaps the name was a bit distracting at the time, but I didn't click until later that this species was a relation of the grasshopper warbler.  In retrospect, this makes sense - it shares a similar shape and plumage pattern to the species I've seen although considerably larger.

Related Species:
ORDER: Passeriformes
FAMILY: Locustellidae
GENUS: Megalurus
SUBSPECIES: M. p. toklao, M. p. forbesi, M. p. palustris

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ចាបក្រុក ("Sparrow")

A fairly common resident.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - Some seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula)

OTHER NAMES: Small Skylark
Latin Etymology: Alauda ("lark") gulgula (unclear etymology)

Adult Oriental Skylark (subspecies A. g. gulgula) at Florican Grasslands, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Alauda gulgula gulgula
Weight: 15g  /  Length: 15-18cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Oriental Skylark is as the name suggests, the equivalent of the Eurasian Skylark of East Asia.  It appears cosmetically similar to them, but a little smaller and more slender.  They seemed to spend their time scurrying alonside the roads, looking for food, having slightly more pipit like behaviour than other larks I've seen.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Alaudidae
Genus: Alauda
SUBSPECIES: A. g. inconspicua, A. g. Ihamarum, A. g. weigoldi, A. g. inopinata, A. g. verynayi, A. g. gulgula, A. g. coelivox, A. g. wattersi

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ក្រូចអុិនកំប៉ោយ

A fairly common resident.

SINGAPORE / CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP - A some seen at Florican Grassland Reserve

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .