United Kingdom Ramsar wetland
Abberton Reservoir
261 bird species recorded; the most in April and from September to November.
pete beard · CC BY 2.0
This month here
178 species in January.171 species in February.168 species in March.179 species in April.172 species in May.152 species in June.161 species in July.177 species in August.187 species in September.185 species in October.182 species in November.174 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
VU
NT
NTVU
NT
NTVUNT
NT
NTVU
VUNTVUNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
261 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 261Speciesrecorded more than once
- 122Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 14ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 211,396Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 13Raptors
- 4Owls
- 42Waders
- 32Gulls & seabirds
- 50Ducks & geese
- 16Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 81Songbirds
- 21Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 261 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Common BuzzardButeo buteo
- Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
- Red KiteMilvus milvus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Red-footed FalconFalco vespertinusVU
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorus
Owls4 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Western Barn OwlTyto alba
- Little OwlAthene noctua
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Tawny OwlStrix aluco
Waders42 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusNT
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Green SandpiperTringa ochropus
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- European Golden PloverPluvialis apricaria
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor
- Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimus
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisVU
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
- White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaNT
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Oriental PratincoleGlareola maldivarum
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
Gulls & seabirds32 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- Common GullLarus canus
- Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Pontic gullLarus cachinnans
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellis
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Little TernSternula albifrons
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
- Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Long-tailed SkuaStercorarius longicaudus
- Sabine's GullXema sabini
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Northern gannetMorus bassanus
- Little AukAlle alle
- Atlantic PuffinFratercula arcticaVU
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- Manx ShearwaterPuffinus puffinus
- RazorbillAlca torda
Ducks & geese50 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- SmewMergellus albellus
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- Red-crested pochardNetta rufina
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- CanvasbackAythya valisineria
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis
- GarganeySpatula querquedula
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Velvet scoterMelanitta fuscaVU
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
- Black swanCygnus atratus
- Ruddy ShelduckTadorna ferruginea
- Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Common ScoterMelanitta nigra
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Common EiderSomateria mollissimaNT
- White-headed duckOxyura leucocephala
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Red-breasted GooseBranta ruficollisVU
- Ferruginous DuckAythya nyrocaNT
- Swan GooseAnser cygnoides
- White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis
- Yellow-billed PintailAnas georgica
- Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- Bar-headed GooseAnser indicus
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
Herons, ibises & grebes16 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis
- Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Purple heronArdea purpurea
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White StorkCiconia ciconia
- Black storkCiconia nigra
Songbirds81 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian MagpiePica pica
- Eurasian Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- European RobinErithacus rubecula
- Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula
- European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
- Western JackdawColoeus monedula
- Eurasian ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Great titParus major
- DunnockPrunella modularis
- RookCorvus frugilegus
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Common LinnetLinaria cannabina
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis
- Common ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
- Cetti's WarblerCettia cetti
- WhitethroatSylvia communis
- BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
- European StonechatSaxicola rubicola
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- FieldfareTurdus pilaris
- European GreenfinchChloris chloris
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Common House MartinDelichon urbicum
- RedwingTurdus iliacus
- YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella
- Eurasian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus scirpaceus
- Common NightingaleLuscinia megarhynchos
- Lesser whitethroatSylvia curruca
- Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
- European Rock PipitAnthus petrosus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
- Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorus
- Northern WheatearOenanthe oenanthe
- Bearded ReedlingPanurus biarmicus
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Garden WarblerSylvia borin
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- WhinchatSaxicola rubetra
- Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Common Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
- Water PipitAnthus spinoletta
- Ring OuzelTurdus torquatus
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Common FirecrestRegulus ignicapilla
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Lanius excubitorLanius excubitor
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Desert wheatearOenanthe deserti
- Ortolan buntingEmberiza hortulana
- Common RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Black RedstartPhoenicurus ochruros
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- TwiteLinaria flavirostris
- Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
- Little BuntingEmberiza pusilla
- European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio
- WoodlarkLullula arborea
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Isabelline ShrikeLanius isabellinus
- Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
Other birds21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
- CootFulica atra
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Stock DoveColumba oenas
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- European SwiftApus apus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Red-legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaNT
- European Turtle DoveStreptopelia turturVU
- European Water RailRallus aquaticus
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Common QuailCoturnix coturnix
- Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri
- Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagris
- WryneckJynx torquilla
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in April and from September to November.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan7°/2°60 mm
- Feb7°/1°52 mm
- Mar10°/2°49 mm
- Apr13°/4°39 mm
- May17°/8°56 mm
- Jun20°/11°63 mm
- Jul22°/13°64 mm
- Aug22°/13°67 mm
- Sep19°/10°45 mm
- Oct15°/8°71 mm
- Nov10°/5°68 mm
- Dec7°/2°66 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Abberton Reservoir.
Reservoir in the United Kingdom
Abberton Reservoir is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in United Kingdom.
261 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 211,396 open records.
The most recorded are the Black-headed Gull, the Mallard and the Mute Swan.
50 species come for the summer, 71 for the winter and 1 only pass through.
14 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard, Grey Plover and Horned Grebe.
The most species are recorded in April and from September to November.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- Seaviewcampsite · 7.1 km · 17 within 10 km
- Five Lakesplace to stay · 5.4 km · 110 within 10 km
- Layer de la Hayenearest town · 2.9 km in a straight line
- London Southend Airport (SEN)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 30 km in a straight lineCar hire at STN airport (London, Essex)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 5bird hides within 6 kmGwen's Hide, Island Hide, Bay Hide and 2 more
- 2marked trails within 4 kmKing Charles III England Coast Path: Maldon to Salcott, King Charles III England Coast Path: Mersea Island
- 1visitor centres within 6 kmEssex Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre
- 1viewpoints within 5 km
- 12car parks within 3 km
- 17campsites within 10 kmSeaview, Waldegraves, Colchester Country Park and 14 more
- 110places to stay within 10 kmFive Lakes, Woodlands, Greenview Hoise B&B and 107 more
- observation towers within 6 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Abberton Reservoir.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Coastya1 beaches within 10 kmWest Mersea Beach · 7.1 km
Lakeyas2 lakes within 15 kmAbberton Reservoir4.6 km² · 2.4 kmArdleigh Reservoir0.5 km² · 12 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Abberton Reservoir
United Kingdom
- 88Birdyas Score
- 261Species
- 122Migrants
- 14Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q4663930) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 211,396 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Islandyas, Coastya, Lakeyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
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Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
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Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
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Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
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