British avifauna

Some of these are permanent populations of sedentary non-migrants such as tawny owl or red grouse, whereas others have their numbers augmented by winter visitors from the continent (for example common starling), or depleted by winter hard-weather movements to Ireland or southern Europe (for example European goldfinch).

Several species, particularly waders such as ringed plover and dunlin, both breed and winter in Britain, whereas these areas are separate for most other populations of those birds.

Although it is present all year, the breeding population actually migrates south, and is replaced by wintering birds of the Icelandic race.

A large number of these are insectivores such as warblers, flycatchers and common cuckoo, as would be expected from the scarcity of insects in British winters.

These are mainly larger birds, such as swans, geese, ducks, gulls and thrushes, but some smaller species, such as the snow bunting and brambling also arrive in large numbers.

Arctic breeding waders are a good example, with species such as little stint and curlew sandpiper usually being fairly common on passage.

There will be more Mediterranean visitors like hoopoes and Alpine swifts in spring if there are winds from the south encouraging an overshoot of the breeding areas.

In both spring and autumn, the numbers of Scandinavian breeders such as bluethroat and wryneck are linked to the prevalence of easterly winds.

Siberian species such as yellow-browed warbler and Pechora pipit also occur much more regularly in Britain than further east in Europe.