Birds
All images on this website have been taken in Leicestershire and Rutland by NatureSpot members. We welcome new contributions - just register and use the Submit Records form to post your photos. Click on any image below to visit the species page. The RED / AMBER / GREEN dots indicate how easy it is to identify the species - see our Identification Difficulty page for more information. A coloured rating followed by an exclamation mark denotes that different ID difficulties apply to either males and females or to the larvae - see the species page for more detail.
Birds
Birds are the most recorded group and the starting point for most people interested in wildlife. There are 616 species of bird currently listed as British wild species and 316 are listed on the Leicestershire and Rutland checklist, excluding a further 15 species likely to be escapees. 120 species are known to have bred in the two counties. The range and abundance of species changes over time and whilst some have become very rare others, such as Buzzard, Red Kite and Little Egret are now regular sightings. A few species have been recorded in VC55 that are not included in the British Ornithologists' Checklist and these are labelled as EXOTIC. Most are likely escapes from collections and domestic stock; there is no evidence of these species breeding in the wild.
Leicestershire and Rutland resources
Leicestershire & Rutland Ornithological Society offers an excellent local website with up to date news on what birds are around at the moment and also has a guide to good local birding sites.
Facebook Group: LROS
Checklist of birds for Leicestershire and Rutland
Other useful websites and publications
RSPB - comprehensive guide to British birds. Also, try out their Bird Identifier tool.
Collins Bird Guide - for Britain and Europe. It is available in softback, hardback and large format.
Britain's Birds: An Identification Guide to the Birds of Great Britain and Ireland (WILDGuides of Britain & Europe, 34)
Collins Field Guide: Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Northern Europe (Contains 2 accompanying CDs) - useful reference guide to bird sounds.
