Set out below is a comprehensive list of the birds recorded at Brent Reservoir — more than 250 species. More detailed information can be found in the WHCG publications ‘Birds of Brent Reservoir‘ (2002), updated in ‘Birds of Brent Reservoir: Facts & Figures’ (see Publications page).
Key to status
Very common: seen on every visit, abundant
Common: regularly seen in the appropriate season
Uncommon: seen annually, irregular
Near annual: seen most years
Scarce: 15+ records
Rare: 6-15 records/birds
Very rare: 1-5 records/birds
Breeding: breeds annually
Former breeder: has bred since 1900 but not currently breeding
Historical breeder: last bred before 1900
Breeding attempted: incomplete or unsuccessful breeding attempt
Systematic list
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- Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Common breeding resident - Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus
Rare winter visitor - Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
Rare winter visitor - Pink-footed Goose Anser branchyrhyncus
Very rare winter visitor - White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
Rare winter visitor - Greylag Goose Anser anser
Uncommon visitor, increasing - Brent Goose Branta bernicla
Rare winter visitor - Canada Goose Anser canadensis
Common breeding resident - Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
Uncommon visitor, increasing - Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Uncommon visitor - Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata
Scarce visitor - Wigeon Anas penelope
Uncommon autumn/winter visitor - Gadwall Anas strepera
Common breeding resident - Teal Anas crecca
Common winter visitor, occasionally over-summers; bred once - Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
Common breeding resident - Pintail Anas acuta
Uncommon winter visitor, occasionally in summer - Garganey Anas querquedula
Near annual summer visitor, overwintered once - Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1995–96) - Shoveler Anas clypeata
Common autumn/winter visitor, occasionally breeds - Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina
Scarce visitor - Pochard Aythya ferina
Common winter visitor, occasionally breeds - Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (2017) - Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
Very rare visitor - Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Common breeding resident - Scaup Aythya marila
Near annual winter visitor - Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (2003) - Eider Somateria mollissima
Very rare winter visitor - Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis
Very rare winter visitor - Common Scoter Melanitta nigra
Scarce visitor - Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca
Rare winter visitor - Goldeneye Bucephala clangula
Near annual winter visitor - Smew Mergus albellus
Scarce winter visitor - Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator
Scarce winter visitor - Goosander Mergus merganser
Near annual winter visitor - Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis
Former common breeding resident; possibly extinct in Britain after national cull - Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa
Rare visitor - Grey Partridge Perdix perdix
Rare visitor, former breeder - Quail Coturnix coturnix
Very rare summer visitor, recorded only once (1882) - Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Near annual visitor, mostly in spring - Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
Very rare winter visitor - Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica
Very rare winter visitor - Great Northern Diver Gavia immer
Very rare winter visitor - Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Common breeding resident - Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
Common breeding resident - Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
Rare winter visitor - Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus
Scarce winter visitor - Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
Near annual visitor - Leach’s Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Very rare autumn/winter visitor - Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Common resident; breeding attempted - Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Scarce visitor - Bittern Botaurus stellaris
Rare winter visitor - Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (pre-1843) - Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Very rare vagrant - Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Very rare vagrant - Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Very rare vagrant, recorded only twice (both in 2018) - Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Uncommon visitor, increasing - Great White Egret Ardea alba
Very rare visitor - Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Common resident; bred for first time in 2017 after earlier breeding attempts - Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Very rare vagrant - White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1999) - Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (9/10 September 2025) - Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Rare vagrant - Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
Rare passage migrant - Red Kite Milvus milvus
Annual visitor, mainly in spring - Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Rare passage migrant - Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
Very rare winter visitor - Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus
Very rare passage migrant - Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
Very rare visitor - Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
Common breeding resident - Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
Annual visitor, increasing - Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Rare passage migrant - Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Uncommon resident; former breeder - Merlin Falco columbarius
Rare passage migrant/winter visitor - Hobby Falco subbuteo
Uncommon summer visitor - Peregrine Falco peregrinus
Uncommon visitor - Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
Common winter visitor - Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
Rare passage migrant - Corncrake Crex crex
Historic breeder - Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Common breeding resident - Coot Fulica atra
Common breeding resident - Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Uncommon visitor - Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1918) - Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
Rare passage migrant - Stone-Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
Very rare passage migrant, recorded only once (1969) - Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Common summer visitor; occasionally breeds - Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Near annual passage migrant - Dotterel Charadrius morinellus
Very rare passage migrant, recorded only once (1856) (record to be reviewed) - Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
Scarce winter visitor - Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Scarce passage migrant/winter visitor - Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Common resident; historic breeder, breeding attempted recently - Knot Calidris canutus
Scarce passage migrant/winter visitor - Sanderling Calidris alba
Scarce passage migrant, very rare winter visitor - Little Stint Calidris minuta
Scarce passage migrant - Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii
Scarce passage migrant - White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1856) - Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1846) - Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Scarce passage migrant - Dunlin Calidris alpina
Annual passage migrant, scarce winter visitor - Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Scarce passage migrant - Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
Near annual winter visitor - Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Common winter visitor - Great Snipe Gallinago media
Very rare vagrant - Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
Annual winter visitor, passage migrant - Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Scarce passage migrant - Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
Scarce passage migrant - Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Near annual passage migrant - Curlew Numenius arquata
Near annual visitor - Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Common passage migrant - Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
Very rare vagrant - Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Common passage migrant; uncommon winter visitor - Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
Rare passage migrant - Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Annual passage migrant - Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Scarce passage migrant - Redshank Tringa totanus
Uncommon visitor - Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Scarce passage migrant; very rare winter visitor - Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
Rare autumn passage migrant - Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
Very rare passage migrant, recorded only once (pre-1843) - Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
Rare autumn migrant - Great Skua Stercorarius skua
Very rare passage migrant - Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
Scarce visitor - Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Common winter visitor; bred in 2025 - Little Gull Larus minutus
Near annual visitor - Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus
Uncommon winter visitor - Common Gull Larus canus
Common winter visitor - Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1996) - Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Common breeding resident - Herring Gull Larus argentatus
Common resident; breeds occasionally - Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Near annual visitor - Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans
Very rare visitor - Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides
Very rare winter visitor - Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
Rare winter visitor - Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Uncommon visitor - Little Tern Sterna albifrons
Scarce passage migrant - Black Tern Chlidonias niger
Near annual passage migrant - White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
Very rare vagrant - Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
Scarce passage migrant - Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Common breeding summer visitor - Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Very rare passage migrant, recorded only once (1866) - Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Near annual passage migrant - Pallas’s Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1863) (record to be reviewed as may not be in recording area) - Feral Rock Dove Columba livia
Very common breeding resident - Stock Dove Columba oenas
Uncommon breeding resident and passage migrant - Woodpigeon Columba palumbus
Very common breeding resident and passage migrant - Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Common breeding resident - Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
Near annual passage migrant; former breeder - Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri
Common resident; presumed breeder - Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Scarce passage migrant; former breeder - Barn Owl Tyto alba
Rare visitor; former breeder - Little Owl Athene noctua
Rare visitor; occasional breeder - Tawny Owl Strix aluco
Uncommon breeding resident - Long-eared Owl Asio otus
Rare winter visitor - Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Scarce passage migrant/winter visitor - Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus
Very rare passage migrant, recorded only once (1956) - Common Swift Apus apus
Common breeding summer visitor - Alpine Swift Apus melba
Very rare vagrant - Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Common breeding resident - Hoopoe Upupa epops
Very rare vagrant - Wryneck Jynx torquilla
Very rare passage migrant; former breeder - Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
Common breeding resident - Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
Common breeding resident - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor
Scarse visitor; former breeder - Woodlark Lullula arborea
Scarce passage migrant/winter visitor - Skylark Alauda arvensis
Uncommon passage migrant/winter visitor; former breeder - Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Common passage migrant; occasional breeder - Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common passage migrant; former breeder - House Martin Delichon urbicum
Common breeding summer visitor - Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1963) - Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
Near annual passage migrant - Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Common passage migrant, uncommon winter visitor; former breeder - Rock Pipit Anthus petrosus
Near annual passage migrant - Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta
Rare passage migrant - Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
Uncommon passage migrant; former breeder
(includes records of Blue-headed Wagtail, Grey-headed Wagtail and Sykes’s Wagtail) - Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
Common breeding resident; uncommon passage migrant - Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba
Common breeding resident & passage migrant
(includes records of White Wagtail) - Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus
Rare winter visitor - Dipper Cinclus cinclus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1862) - Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Very common breeding resident - Dunnock Prunella modularis
Very common breeding resident - Robin Erithacus rubecula
Very common breeding resident - Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
Scarce passage migrant; occasional breeder - Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
Rare passage migrant - Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Near annual passage migrant; historic breeder - Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
Annual passage migrant; former breeder - Stonechat Saxicola torquata
Near annual passage migrant; former breeder - Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Uncommon passage migrant
(includes records of Greenland Wheatear) - Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Scarce passage migrant - Blackbird Turdus merula
Very common breeding resident, passage migrant - Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Common winter visitor, passage migrant - Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Common breeding resident, passage migrant - Redwing Turdus iliacus
Common winter visitor, passage migrant - Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
Common breeding resident, passage migrant - Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti
Formerly rare winter visitor but now resident; probably bred for first time in 2017. - Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
Scarce passage migrant; former breeder - Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1955) - Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Common breeding summer visitor - Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Very common breeding summer visitor - Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Very common breeding summer visitor; scarce winter visitor - Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
Uncommon breeding summer visitor - Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
Uncommon breeding summer visitor - Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis
Very common breeding summer visitor - Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata
Very rare visitor, recorded only once (2000) - Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
Very rare vagrant - Hume’s Warbler Phylloscopus humei
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (2004) - Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Rare passage migrant - Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Very common breeding summer visitor, uncommon winter visitor
(includes records of Siberian Chiffchaff) - Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1972) - Willow Warbler hylloscopus trochilus
Common passage migrant; former breeder - Goldcrest Regulus regulus
Uncommon breeding resident, passage migrant - Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla
Scarce winter visitor, passage migrant - Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
Annual passage migrant; former breeder - Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
Scarce passage migrant - Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus
Scarce winter visitor - Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
Very common breeding resident - Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Very common breeding resident - Great Tit Parus major
Very common breeding resident - Crested Tit Parus cristatus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1860) - Coal Tit Periparus ater
Uncommon breeding resident - Willow Tit Poecile montana
Rare visitor; former breeder - Marsh Tit Poecile palustris
Rare winter visitor - Nuthatch Sitta europaea
Scarce visitor - Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
Scarce visitor; former breeder - Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
Very rare vagrant - Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
Rare passage migrant; former breeder - Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor
Rare winter visitor/passage migrant - Jay Garrulus glandarius
Common breeding resident - Magpie Pica pica
Very common breeding resident - Jackdaw Corvus monedula
Uncommon visitor, passage migrant - Rook Corvus frugilegus
Annual visitor - Carrion Crow Corvus corone
Very common breeding resident - Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
Scarce winter visitor - Raven Corvus corax
Very rare visitor - Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Common breeding resident, passage migrant - House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Common breeding resident - Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Scarce passage migrant/winter visitor; former breeder - Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Common breeding resident, passage migrant - Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
Near annual passage migrant; uncommon winter visitor - Serin Serinus serinus
Very rare vagrant, recorded only once (1991) - Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
Common breeding resident, passage migrant - Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
Common breeding resident, passage migrant - Siskin Carduelis spinus
Uncommon winter visitor, passage migrant - Linnet Carduelis cannabina
Uncommon passage migrant; former breeder - Twite Carduelis flavirostris
Scarce winter visitor, passage migrant - Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret
Uncommon winter visitor, passage migrant; bred once - Mealy Redpoll Carduelis flammea
Very rare winter visitor - Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
Rare passage migrant - Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Uncommon breeding resident
(includes records of Northern Bullfinch) - Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Very rare passage migrant - Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus
Very rare winter visitor/passage migrant - Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
Scarce winter visitor/passage migrant - Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
Scarce passage migrant/winter visitor - Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus
Very rare visitor, recorded only once (1859) - Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana
Very rare vagrant - Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
Common breeding resident, uncommon passage migrant - Corn Bunting Milaria calandra
Rare visitor
References
Batten L., Beddard R., Colmans J., Self A. (editors) (2002) Birds of Brent Reservoir: The Natural History of the Welsh Harp. London: Welsh Harp Conservation Group.
Self A. (2017) Birds of Brent Reservoir: Facts & Figures (3rd edition). London: Welsh Harp Conservation Group© Welsh Harp Conservation Group 2026
- Mute Swan Cygnus olor
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Welsh Harp Conservation Group 