british birds
Guide to British seabirds: how to identify and where to see them
Our guide explores some of the UK's most common types of seabird, where they live and the best places to see them.
Best places to stay for birdwatchers in 2024
Spend the day spotting birds on the wing then fall asleep to the hoots and calls of the wild in a birders’ paradise
The best British bird identification books to buy in 2024
Need help naming the birds you spot? Here’s a selection of the best British bird identification books to get you started.
Wading birds guide: nine long-legged waterbirds to look out for this winter
Head to estuaries, coastal marshes and lagoons this winter and catch up with some of the UK's most elegant birds with our guide to wading birds.
Lapland bunting guide: identification, call and facts
The Lapland bunting is a very rare winter visitor in the UK, with the occasional pair breeding. Learn all about this tundra bird, including what it looks like, its call, favoured habitat and breeding with your expert birder's guide.
Starling murmuration guide: why and when they happen and best places to see one in the UK
What is a murmuration and when do they happen? Our expert guide explains the science behind starling murmurations and the best places to see them in the UK.
Cley Marshes walk, Norfolk
This easy 3.5-mile circular walk is the best way to observe Cley Marshes incredible wildlife.
Bird migration guide: which species migrate and where do they go?
Throughout the year, millions of birds migrate to and from the British Isles. Our expert guide explores why some birds arrive in the UK in particular seasons and others leave, which species migrate and where they go when they leave Britain's shores.
Ellie Harrison: How small acts can save Britain's birds
The only living link to dinosaurs, birds are a daily wonder in Britain’s skies, lands and seas. Small acts can save them, says BBC Countryfile's Ellie Harrison
Grebe guide: British species, how to identify and where to see them
Duck-like and characterful, often with poetic courtship displays, Britain's grebes make a marvellous sighting for any birdwatcher. Here, we reveal five species to look out for in the UK.
Cirl bunting guide: how to identify, call and amazing facts
The cirl bunting has a dry trill on a single note, a bit like an insect. Learn all about this rare songbird, including what it looks like, its call, favoured UK habitat and distribution with your expert birder's guide
Corn bunting guide: call, how to identify and surprising facts
The corn bunting can be tricky to identify, but look a little closer at this unassuming bunting and you'll find plenty of surprises. Learn all about the songbird, including what it looks like, its call, favoured habitat and courtship with your expert birder's guide
Reed bunting guide: call, appearance and facts
The reed bunting can be seen all year round in the UK in a variety of habitats, from reedbeds and marshes to farmland, heathland and coastal grassland. Learn all about this small brown bunting, including what it looks like, its call and the difference between males and females with your expert guide.
Yellowhammer guide: song, appearance, breeding and facts
The yellowhammer is one of the easiest buntings to identify in the UK. Learn all about this famous songster, including what it looks like, its summer song and its breeding behaviour with your expert guide
Fly into the secretive world of buntings with your definitive guide to these magical songbirds
Buntings are a group of seed-eating songbirds that bear many of the same characteristics as finches. In this guide, we explore the differences and reveal six species to look out for in the UK.
British crow family guide: identification, habitat and species facts
There are eight species of crow in the UK– meet the characterful crow family and learn more about how to identify corvids, their diet and habitat in our comprehensive guide.
Jay guide: how to identify, behaviour and where to see in Britain
A colourful bird and prolific tree planter – learn more about the jay, including identification, diet and habitat in our expert species guide.
Black tern guide: migration, identification and feeding
The black tern is a passage migrant in the UK and part of a group known as the 'marsh terns'. Learn more about this seabird, including what it looks like, migration and distribution with our guide to black terns
Little tern guide: identification, distribution and nesting
As its name suggests, the little tern is the smallest uk turn species. Learn more about this seabird, including what it looks like, migration and distribution with our guide to little terns
Roseate tern guide: identification, distribution and migration
The roseate tern is a very rare seabird in the UK, with 94 breeding pairs. Learn more about this bird, including what it looks like, migration and distribution with our guide to roseate terns
Arctic tern guide: migration, identification and distribution
The Arctic tern has the longest regular migration in the world, flying as much as 90,000km in a year. Learn more about this seabird, including what it looks like, migration and distribution with our guide to Arctic terns
Common tern guide: facts, identification and courtship
The common tern has a red bill with a black tip, and a rather flat crown. Learn more about this seabird, including what they look like, courtship and habitat with BBC Countryfile magazine's expert guide to common terns
Sandwich tern guide: facts, breeding and migration
The sandwich tern is our largest tern, easily identified by its black, crested cap in spring and early summer. Learn more about this seabird, including what they look like, breeding and migration patterns with BBC Countryfile magazine's expert guide to sandwich terns
Snettisham, Norfolk
Watch the sun set over the sea behind swirling flocks of knot on the Norfolk Coast