10 Exotic Birds To Spot In The UK

Somewhat unfairly, the UK is not renowned as a birdwatchers’ paradise. Many of our most familiar birds belong a group of birds that twitchers refer to as ‘little brown jobs’, indistinct greyish-brown species that sometimes frustrate birders due to a lack of features that help with identification.

But with changes to the climate as well as some successful reintroduction programmes our avian fauna is becoming much more diverse. As a result it’s becoming easier to see birds that you might not expect to find in our northern European landscape.

This guide takes a closer look at 10 of the more exotic-looking birds that can be found in the UK.

Bluethroat

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Bluethroat

Luscinia svecica

The bluethroat is a small songbird that sits in the same family as the European robin. The male has a brown back and electric blue throat and upper breast with black, white, and rufous bands below. Females are much duller and usually lack the blue. Both sexes have a chestnut patch underneath the tail.

Two subspecies of bluethroat visit the UK; one has a red spot on its throat, the red-spotted bluethroat, and the other a white spot, the white-spotted bluethroat, and a much rarer visitor.

Just like robins, bluethroats will fiercely defend their territories. Their song is a strong, clear whistle with a variable flourish, and they are capable of mimicking other birds.

Warm winds in the spring bring bluethroats to the east coast. Look out for them in reedbeds, marshes, thick vegetation, and near water. They can be hard to spot but you may see one on open ground running and hopping while dipping its slender tail. They can also be seen during autumn passage between August and October as they return to their wintering grounds in Africa.

Common Crane

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Common crane

Grus grus

The common crane is a huge, stately, waterside bird standing about a metre tall. It has a pale grey body with long black-tipped plumes that extend over the tail. The face and throat are black, the nape is white, and it has a bare red crown. Males are slightly larger and heavier than females.

It flies with its legs and head outstretched on flat wings, unlike the grey heron which pulls its neck into its body and flies with arched wings. It has a loud, trumpeting call in flight which can be heard from a considerable distance.

Like other species of crane, the common crane is known for its complex dancing displays which it performs all year round.

The crane is a scarce spring and autumn migrant but a reintroduction programme in the Norfolk Broads has seen their numbers increase and the UK is now home to a number of breeding birds. Look out for them on marshy wetlands.

Ring-Necked Parakeet

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Ring-necked parakeet

Psittacula krameri

The ring-necked parakeet, sometimes known as the rose-ringed parakeet, is a fairly large, slim parrot with a long, pointed tail and a round head. It has pale green plumage with a yellowish belly and bluer feathers on the tail. In males the conspicuous neck ring can be blue, black, or pink while in females it is much weaker. It has a short, thick, curved red bill.

Ring-necked parakeets have a fast flight during which they emit loud, frenzied squeals and screeches. You may hear a flock of ring-necked parakeets before you see them as they come flying overhead.

It is the UK’s only naturalised parrot and despite its tropical origin has thrived despite the cold weather, particularly in urban parks and gardens. Escapees from collections have been living in the wild for centuries, but it was only in the 1960s that they began to breed and since then their numbers have swelled to nearly 9,000 pairs.

In their native habitat they usually eat only plant matter but in the UK ring-necked parakeets are omnivores and will readily visit bird tables and feeders. However, these gaudy birds are officially considered a pest due to the damage they can do to crops and the impact they may have on native wildlife.

Hoopoe

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Hoopoe

Upupa epops

The hoopoe is a beautiful ground-feeding birds with barred black and white wings and tail and sandy-orange on the head and back. They have a large orange crest with black and white tips which usually lies flat on their head in a narrow wedge shape, but when raised appears as a semi-circular fan. Male and female hoopoes are similar.

They have an erratic, bounding flight accompanied by flickering wing beats of their broad, rounded wings, which are particularly striking in flight. Their call is a simple repetition of low, hollow sounds, that although is fairly soft, carries quite far.

Hoopoes visit the UK from southern Europe. Up to 160 arrive each year between March and October, and they have bred. Look out for them on the edges of woodland and open ground foraging for insects and spiders before they leave to winter back in southern Europe and Africa.

Spoonbill

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Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

The spoonbill is a large white bird that lives near water. It has a spiky white crest that can be drooped or raised and may blow to one side in the wind, and breeding season a yellow patch on its chin and breast. Its long legs are black and it has a spatula-shaped bill that is unique in Europe; long and black with a broad, flat yellow tip.

In flight it looks a little like a swan, but with much quicker wing action. It flies silently with its neck outstretched and legs trailing behind with wing beats that are faster and stiffer than egrets.

Spoonbills stand in shallows with their heads tucked back under a wing when sleeping. It feeds by slowly wading through water, elegantly sweeping its bill from side to side dredging for aquatic insects, amphibians, and small fish.  They feed in flocks and tend to be inactive during the day, preferring to feed at night.

Until recently they were a rare migrant to the UK. Conservation efforts have seen it return to the east of England where it has recently bred. Their breeding grounds are kept secret but you can see them on coastal sites in the north west, south west, and east of England all year round.

Golden Oriole

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Golden oriole

Oriolus oriolus

The golden oriole is the only Old World oriole found in the UK and one of Europe’s most brightly coloured birds. It is about the size of a blackbird but with elongated wings. The adult male is brilliant yellow with ink-black wings and black patch around its eye and a dark pink bill. Females are paler with greenish upperparts and pale grey underparts.

They have a fast, gently undulating flight with powerful wingbeats. During courtship the male will perform elaborate displays with dives, hovering, and tail-fanning for the benefit of the female. The call sounds strained and harsh, but the song is a short, rich, flute-like whistle that may be repeated for long periods.

Golden orioles are secretive birds. They can be spotted on passage from Europe in early summer on the south or east coast of England. Listen out for them at dawn as they sing from the tops of trees in woodland, forests, parks, and gardens.

Bee-Eater

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Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

The European bee-eater is a brightly coloured slim bird with a long tail, pointed wings, and a downward-curved bill. It is bright rusty-brown on the back with golden yellow shoulders, and pale blue on the underparts. The head is rufous, and it has a yellow throat and black stripe through the deep red eyes.

The bee-eater is mainly an aerial feeder but can be seen perching on a wire or bare branch. In flight its wings are stretched in a triangular shape and there is a pointed central spike on the tail. It flies with quick wing beats interspersed with flat straight-winged circular glides and sudden bursts as it catches flying insects on the wing.

It is a vocal bird that calls with deep, throaty whistles that carry far while it is foraging or migrating. It performs regular dust and water bathing to rid its skin of ectoparasites picked up from nesting in holes.

They are scarce migrants from southern Europe and rarely breed. They occasionally visit in autumn on their way to winters in Africa. Look out for them in dry, sandy, open and bushy places.

Golden Pheasant

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Golden pheasant

Chrysolophus pictus

The golden pheasant, also known as the Chinese pheasant or rainbow pheasant, is a beautiful multi-coloured ground-dwelling gamebird. Several feral populations have established themselves in the UK after escaping from captivity.

The male’s upper back is deep green, and the lower back and rump are golden yellow. Its underparts are chestnut with a scarlet breast. It has a long black and chestnut tail that measures about half a metre in length and a silky, golden yellow crest on its head. The female is much paler with brown plumage and bars that make her almost invisible on the ground.

Golden pheasants rarely fly; they are clumsy in flight due to their short wings and long tail, but can suddenly burst upwards if startled making a distinctive sound with their wings. It has a wide range of calls including alarm calls, contact calls, and advertising calls, and during breeding season the male makes a metallic-sounding call.

Golden pheasants are scattered throughout the UK, but primarily in the south and east of England where they can be spotted in dense woodland and forests. Look out for them early in the morning when they may emerge into clearings in search of food.

Rose-Coloured Starling

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Rose-coloured starling

Pastor roses

The rose-colored starling is a rare visitor to the UK. It is similar in shape to the more familiar European starling but with a softer, rounder head and blunter bill. It has unmistakable pink and black plumage with a ragged crest on its nape. Its bill and legs and feet in breeding plumage are bright pink. Juveniles are pale brown with buff fringes to their feathers, a yellow bill, and brown legs. They can look similar to young starlings but can be distinguished by the pale rump and dark tail.

Like starlings, it forms noisy, gregarious flocks, and in the UK it will often join other starlings as it forages on the ground for insects. It has a direct flight with rapid wingbeats and short glides. It calls continuously with a series of warbles, whistles, and grating phrases that are less harsh than the European starling.

Migrant rose-coloured starlings turn up from eastern Europe between May and November although it will occasionally spend the winter here. Look out for adults in the north west in summer and juveniles by southern coasts in autumn.

Mandarin Duck

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Mandarin duck

Aix galericulata

The mandarin duck is a distinctive waterbird that was introduced to the UK from the Far East. The male has elaborate mutli-coloured plumage with a long rusty crest down the centre of its back and upright orange ‘sails’ on its tail. On the head, there is a golden-brown fan on the lower face. The female is pale with spotted flanks, and a thick, grey crest on the head. In eclipse plumage, the male is similar to the female but has a red bill with a pale tip.

Like many perching ducks, mandarin ducks nest in holes in trees. They have a rapid flight with excellent manoeuvrability and will often produce a high, squeaky whistle when in flight.

Mandarin ducks can be seen across the UK but mostly in the south, where they can be found on wooded lakes, rivers, and ponds in parks.

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7 Responses

  1. The ring-necked parakeet is not rare or exotic these days, especially in the SE. I have to chase at least 5 at a time off my feeder several times a day. They just seem to congregate for a chat, rather than feed, and block the smaller birds. They are certainly colourful, but they make a dreadful noise!

    1. Why so angry sally? Parrots are exotic birds – they may be quire common here now but still different to what you might expect to see in England.

      I thought this was a nice thing to write about Bird spot. Thankyou.

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