Birds in Cornwall

There are about 10,000 species of birds in the world, of which approximately 570 have been recorded in Britain. The total species list for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is about 460, of which just over 400 had been recorded in Cornwall and about 420 on the Isles of Scilly. Owing both to the nature of birds and the geographical position of the county, a significant proportion of the lists is made up of species that pass through on migration, many of which may be described as very rare or as vagrant.

Accordingly, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are well known for the fact that large numbers of rare migrants and vagrants are found here on spring and autumn migration. Roughly 180 of all the officially rare species in Britain have been recorded here, reflecting how good this area is for rare birds. Ignoring the rarities, there are about 110 species that breed within Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, while around a further 150 species occur as regular non-breeding visitors, leading to a total of about 260 species that may be considered a regular part of the avifauna of the area.

Oyster Catcher photograph by JB&S Bottomley

• A guide to feeding wild birds
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• How you can help birds
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