British Avifauna - Rarities

Rarities

One of the fascinations of the British list is the number of rarities. Because of its position on the western fringes of Europe, Britain receives a number of vagrants from North America. Some American gulls, ducks and waders are regular enough to not be considered rare. These include Ring-billed Gull, Surf Scoter and Pectoral Sandpiper. Rare American passerines include Red-eyed Vireo and Blackpoll Warbler.

Some rarities breed in Europe, but are short-distance migrants which rarely make it to the UK. Examples are Crested Lark and Marmora's Warbler.

Siberian species such as Yellow-browed Warbler and Pechora Pipit also occur much more regularly in Britain than further east in Europe. This is because migrating birds are likely to rest on the well-watched eastern coast after crossing the North Sea.

Only one exclusively sub-Saharan breeder has reached the UK, although it has done so twice. This is Allen's Gallinule.

Seabird rarities can of course reach the UK from great distances. Amongst the more improbable wanderers to Britain, perhaps the most surprising is the Ancient Murrelet from the Pacific.