Bird Species Recorded at Cossington Meadows

Leicestershire and RutlandWildlife Trust

Bird species recorded at Cossington Meadows Nature Reserve

since 2002

The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is grateful to Steve Lister, the County Bird Recorder, and members of the Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society, for assistance in drawing up this list. Comments on it and new records would be welcome. The list is presented in the order of birds given in The Birds of Leicestershire and Rutland (Fray et al 2009).

Note that the first part of the nature reserve was purchased in 2004, but that there have been several additional purchases of land since then and the area now stands at 88.9 hectares (219.58 acres). Barber’s Rough, Rectory Marsh and Rectory Moat are all adjacent areas of interest that are not part of the reserve.

Mute SwanCygnus olor

Resident, regularly breeding.

Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus

Rare winter visitor.

Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus

Rare winter visitor, at least flying over.

Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus

Rare winter visitor, at least flying over, probably feral or escaped birds.Rare winter visitor, at least flying over.

White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons

Rare winter visitor.

Greylag GooseAnser anser

Regular visitor.

GreaterCanada GooseBranta canadensis

Resident, regularly breeding and sizeable flocks sometimes present.

Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis

Rare winter visitor, probably feral or escaped birds.

Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegytiaca

Rare visitor, probably feral or escaped birds.

ShelduckTadorna tadorna

Uncommon visitor.

Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata

Rare visitor, probably feral or escaped birds.

EurasianWigeonAnas penelope

Regular winter visitor.

GadwallAnas strepera

Resident, regularly breeding.

EurasianTealAnas crecca

Regular winter visitor.

MallardAnas platyrhynchos

Resident, regularly breeding.

PintailAnas acuta

Rare winter visitor.

GarganeyAnas querquedula

Rare passage migrant.

ShovelerAnas clypeata

Regular visitor, occasionally breeding.

CommonPochardAythya ferina

Rare winter visitor.

Tufted DuckAythya fuligula

Resident, breeding regularly but, small flocks often present.

Greater ScaupAythya marila

Rare winter visitor.

Velvet ScoterMelanitta fusca

Rare winter visitor (single record).

GoldeneyeBucephala clangula

Rare winter visitor.

GoosanderMergus merganser

Regular winter visitor.

Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis

Rare visitor.

Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufa

Uncommon visitor, probably from releases on adjacent land.

Grey PartridgePerdix perdix

Rare visitor, origin uncertain.

PheasantPhasianus colchicus

Uncommon visitor, probably from releases on adjacent land.

Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis

Resident, regularly breeding.

Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus

Resident, occasionally breeding.

CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo

Regularly seen throughout the year in small numbers.

BitternBotaurus stellaris

Rare visitor.

Little BitternIxobrychus minutus

Rare visitor (single record).

Little EgretEgretta garzetta

Regular visitor.

Great White EgretArdea alba

Rare visitor.

Grey HeronArdea cinerea

Resident, nested for the first time in 2010.

Red KiteMilvus milvus

Rare visitor.

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Rare passage migrant.

Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus

Rare winter visitor.

SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus

Regular visitor.

Common BuzzardButeo buteo

Regular visitor.

OspreyPandion haliaetus

Rare passage migrant.

KestrelFalco tinnunculus

Resident, known to have bred.

MerlinFalco columbarius

Rare passage migrant.

HobbyFalco subbuteo

Summer visitor, probably breeding in area.

Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus

Rare visitor.

Water RailRallus aquaticus

Regular visitor.

Spotted Crake Porzana porzana

Rare visitor (one record).

MoorhenGallinula chloropus

Resident, breeding regularly.

CootFulica atra

Resident, breeding regularly.

OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus

Regular visitor and rare breeder.

AvocetRecurvirostraavosetta

Rare visitor.

Little Ringed PloverCharadrius dubius

Summer visitor, occasionally breeding.

Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula

Regular passage migrant, has bred.

Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria

Occasional winter visitor.

Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola

Rare visitor.

LapwingVanellus vanellus

Regular visitor, breeding in small numbers.

Knot Calidris canutus

Rare passage migrant.

Sanderling Calidris alba

Rare passage migrant.

Temminck’s StintCalidris temminckii

Rare passage migrant.

Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos

Rare visitor (one record).

Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea

Rare passage migrant.

Dunlin Calidris alpina

Rare visitor.

Ruff Philomachus pugnax

Passage migrant.

Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus

Rare winter visitor.

Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago

Regular winter visitor and passage migrant.

WoodcockScolopax rusticola

Rare winter visitor.

Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosa

Rare visitor.

Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica

Rare visitor.

WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus

Rare visitor.

Curlew Numenius arquata

Rare visitor.

Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos

Regular passage migrant.

Green SandpiperTringa ochropus

Winter visitor and passage migrant in small numbers.

Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus

Rare passage migrant.

GreenshankTringa nebularia

Regular passage migrant.

Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola

Rare passage migrant.

Common RedshankTringa totanus

Summer and passage visitor, occasionally breeds.

TurnstoneArenaria interpres

Rare visitor.

Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus

Regular visitor.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus

Rare visitor.

Common GullLarus canus

Regular visitor.

Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus

Rare visitor.

Herring Gull Larus argentatus

Recorded at least flying over.

Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus

Recorded at least flying over.

Little Tern Sternula albifrons

Rare passage migrant.

Black TernChlidonias niger

Rare passage migrant.

Sandwich TernSterna sandvicensis

Rare passage migrant.

Common TernSterna hirundo

Summer visitor, breeding in small numbers.

Arctic TernSterna paradisaea

Rare passage migrant.

Feral PigeonColumba livia

Regular visitor.

Stock DoveColumba oenas

Uncommon visitor.

Wood PigeonColumba palumbus

Resident, regularly breeding.

Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto

Uncommon visitor.

Turtle DoveStrepropelia turtur

Rare passage migrant.

CuckooCuculus canorus

Summer visitor.

Barn OwlTyto alba

Uncommon visitor.

Little OwlAthene noctua

Uncommon resident.

Tawny OwlStrix aluco

Rare visitor.

Long-eared OwlAsio otus

Rare visitor.

Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus

Uncommon winter visitor.

Common SwiftApus apus

Uncommon summer visitor.

KingfisherAlcedo atthis

Regular visitor.

Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis

Uncommon visitor.

Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopus major

Resident, breeding in peripheral woodland.

[Lesser Spotted Woodpecker]Dendrocopus minor

Rare visitor – record uncertain.

Sky LarkAlauda arvensis

Mainly summer visitor, probably breeding.

Sand MartinRiparia riparia

Regular summer visitor.

SwallowHirundo rusticola

Regular summer visitor.

House MartinDelichon urbicum

Regular summer visitor.

Tree PipitAnthus trivialis

Occasional passage migrant.

Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis

Regular passage migrant and winter visitor.

Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta

Rare visitor.

Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava

Rare summer visitor, breeding around Tern Pool in 2004.

Grey WagtailMotacilla cinera

Regular visitor.

Pied WagtailMotacilla alba ssp yarrellii

Resident; the White Wagtail M. alba ssp alba has been recorded as a rare passage migrant.

WaxwingBombycilla garrulus

Rare visitor.

WrenTroglodytes troglodytes

Resident, probably breeding.

DunnockPrunella modularis

Resident, probably breeding.

RobinErithacus rubecula

Resident, probably breeding.

Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus

Rare visitor.

WhinchatSaxicola rubetra

Regular passage migrant.

StonechatSaxicola torquatus

Regular winter visitor.

Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe

Regular passage migrant.

BlackbirdTurdus merula

Resident, probably breeding.

FieldfareTurdus pilaris

Regular winter visitor.

Song ThrushTurdus philomelos

Resident, probably breeding.

RedwingTurdus iliacus

Regular winter visitor.

Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus

Resident, probably breeding.

Cetti’s WarblerCettia cetti

Rare visitor.

Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia

Uncommon summer visitor, probably breeding.

Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus

Uncommon summer visitor, probably breeding.

Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus

Uncommon summer visitor, known to have bred.

BlackcapSylvia atricapilla

Rare summer visitor.

Garden WarblerSylvia borin

Rare summer visitor.

Lesser WhitethroatSylvia curruca

Rare summer visitor.

Common WhitethroatSylvia communis

Common summer visitor, probably breeding.

ChiffchaffPhylloscopus colybita

Rare summer and winter visitor.

Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus

Rare summer visitor.

GoldcrestRegulus regulus

Rare visitor, has probably bred on periphery of site.

Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata

Rare visitor, occasionally breeding in adjacent churchyard.

Bearded TitPanurus biarmicus

Rare winter visitor.

Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus

Resident, known to have bred.

Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus

Resident, probably breeding.

Great TitParus major

Resident, probably breeding.

Willow Tit Poecile montana

Rare visitor.

Marsh TitPoecile palustris

Occasional visitor.

NuthatchSitta europaea

Occasional visitor.

TreecreeperCerthia familiaris

Resident, known to have bred.

JayGarrulus glandarius

Rare winter visitor.

MagpiePica pica

Resident, known to have bred.

JackdawCorvus monedula

Uncommon visitor.

RookCorvus frugilegus

Uncommon visitor.

Carrion CrowCorvus corone

Resident, known to have bred.

RavenCorvus corax

Rare visitor.

StarlingSturnus vulgaris

Regular visitor.

House SparrowPasser domesticus

Regular visitor.

Tree SparrowPasser montanus

Rare visitor.

ChaffinchFringilla coelebs

Resident, probably breeding.

BramblingFringilla montifringilla

Rare visitor.

GreenfinchCarduelis chloris

Resident, probably breeding.

GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis

Resident, probably breeding.

LinnetCarduelis cannabina

Regular visitor.

Lesser RedpollCarduelis cabaret

Rare visitor.

Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra

Rare visitor.

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Resident, probably breeding.

Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniculus

Resident, probably breeding.

165 species

In addition, the following ‘Category E’ species have been recorded

Snow Goose Chen caerulescens

Rare visitor, feral or escaped birds.

February 2012

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