The two links below provide lists of the bird species that you can predictably observe in Britain, if you go to the right place at the right time. Of course, that place may be your garden or your local park, so keep your eyes peeled and enjoy the experience of spotting something new.
- The RSPB’s Birds A-Z | Bird Guides
- The British Trust for Ornithology’s list: Alphabetical list of regularly occurring UK bird species
There are many other species that visit these shores, as passage migrants or because they have been blown off course or simply overshoot, but they are the domain of the extreme birders (rather than “bird watchers“) who travel miles to see them and often endure indescribable hardship (known as ‘twitchers‘). People who watch birds generally like to call themselves “birders”.
For a fun look into the psyche of birders take a look at Bill Oddie’s “Little Black Bird Book”. It was written before the days of the internet, but is still holds true.