| English Name | Scientific Name | Notes |
Red-legged Partridge | Alectoris rufa | A total of seven was noted |
Great Crested Grebe | Podiceps cristatus | About 20 at Etang de Biguglia |
Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | Two heard near Calvi |
European Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur | A total of six was noted |
Eurasian Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | Common everywhere |
Common Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus | About 25 seen, mostly in the upland areas |
Rock Dove | Columba livia | Many feral birds, but potential candidates for 'the real thing' were at Cap Corse and Scandola |
Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus | A very few noted at the foetid lagoon near Galeria and at Calvi |
Eurasian Coot | Fulica atra | Only noted at Etang de Biguglia, where perhaps 50 were seen |
Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus | Two at the foetid lagoon near Galeria |
Eurasian Oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | Two at Etang de Biguglia |
Common Ringed Plover | Charadrius hiaticula | One flew past at Barcaggio |
Little Ringed Plover | Thinornis dubius | Two at the foetid lagoon near Galeria |
Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | One on the rocks at Scandola |
Green Sandpiper | Tringa ochropus | One at the foetid lagoon near Galeria |
Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | One at the foetid lagoon near Galeria |
Audouin's Gull | Ichthyaetus audouinii | About 10 around Cap Corse, and another at Etang de Biguglia. All the birds were adults |
Yellow-legged Gull | Larus michahellis | Very common all around the coast |
Scopoli's Shearwater | Calonectris diomedea | Over 30 were off Barcaggio and Macinaggio, mostly quite close inshore |
Mediterranean Shearwater | Puffinus yelkouan | Two were seen briefly off Macinaggio, but much more satisfactory was a feeding flock of over 300 off Scandola. These birds are highly distinctive, resembling Manx rather more than Balearic Shearwaters. From any range, they appear basically monochrome, without obvious buffy or pale brown tones |
Northern Gannet | Morus bassanus | Two first year birds off Macinaggio |
European Shag | Gulosus aristotelis desmarestii | Around 25 off Cap Corse, and probably over 100 off Scandola |
Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | Two at Etang de Biguglia, and another at Scandola |
Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | One, rather surprisingly, at Calvi, and another 10 or so at Etang de Biguglia |
Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | One at Etang de Biguglia |
Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | One at Etang de Biguglia |
Alpine Swift | Tachymarptis melba | Ten near Galeria, and another 20 or so near Calvi |
Common Swift | Apus apus | Numbers built steadily through the week, and by Easter, very common |
Eurasian Scops Owl | Otus scops | Heard every night from the hotel - but despite searching, no sightings! |
Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | One was picked up at about a mile's range off Macinaggio, and took a good ten minutes to come close enough to be identified. Has anyone else watched a Short-eared Owl being mobbed by Audouin's Gulls? |
Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | Three separate sightings at Calvi, and three birds at Scandola. The birds here nest on offshore volcanic rock pinnacles - an extraordinary sight! |
Bearded Vulture | Gypaetus barbatus | A subadult (probably 3rd or 4th year?) was seen at very close range in the Asco Valley. We were directed precisely by some French hikers who'd seen one earlier in the day, and connected within 30 seconds of arriving! |
Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | When all hope seemed gone, one was located soaring high over the Gorge de Restonica, about 1 km below the highest car park |
Eurasian Sparrowhawk | Accipiter nisus | One in the Asco Valley, and another 2 at Calvi |
Eurasian Goshawk | Astur gentilis | One (probably a male) in the Fangu Valley |
Montagu's Harrier | Circus pygargus | A subadult male was at Macinaggio |
Western Marsh Harrier | Circus aeruginosus | A subadult male was at Macinaggio, and a further two were at Etang de Biguglia |
Red Kite | Milvus milvus | Notes daily in small numbers, max. 5+. Most common near Calvi |
Black Kite | Milvus migrans | Only one seen, at a rubbish tip on Cap Corse |
Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo | Seen almost daily, max. 5 |
Common Hoopoe | Upupa epops | Five noted at widely scattered localities |
European Bee-eater | Merops apiaster | Two heard only in flight over a low pass on the Galeria road south of Calvi |
Great Spotted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos major harterti | Very common, in a wide variety of habitats, from dense forest to open maquis |
Common Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | Seen daily, max. 3 |
Eurasian Hobby | Falco subbuteo | One hunting at dusk over Calvi |
Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | One over Calvi, and a further 3 sightings at Scandola |
Woodchat Shrike | Lanius senator | One near Galeria, and about 10 around Calvi |
Eurasian Jay | Garrulus glandarius | Common |
Northern Raven | Corvus corax | Quite common, especially in the mountains |
Carrion Crow | Corvus corone cornix | Common |
Eurasian Blue Tit | Cyanistes caeruleus ogliastrae | Common |
Great Tit | Parus major | Common |
Coal Tit | Periparus ater sardus | Very common in the forests |
Woodlark | Lullula arborea | About ten noted in open agricultural habitats and maquis |
Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis | One at Etang de Biguglia |
Sand Martin | Riparia riparia | One at Macinaggio |
Eurasian Crag Martin | Ptyonoprogne rupestris | Quite common in all upland areas |
Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | Seen daily in varying numbers, max. c.600 |
Western House Martin | Delichon urbicum | Common in towns |
Cetti's Warbler | Cettia cetti | A few heard in suitable damp habitat |
Wood Warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix | At least two on migration at Macinaggio |
Common Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | Small numbers seen and heard |
Eurasian Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | Common |
Common Whitethroat | Curruca communis | One at Macinaggio |
Marmora's Warbler | Curruca sarda | After a lot of searching, eventually seen very well at the lighthouse at Punta Revellata, Calvi. Also seen at Macinaggio |
Dartford Warbler | Curruca undata | Seen in small numbers at several sites, but very common around Calvi |
Sardinian Warbler | Curruca melanocephala | Very common |
Western Subalpine Warbler | Curruca iberiae | Common in the maquis. The song is very reminiscent of Lesser Whitethroat |
Common Firecrest | Regulus ignicapilla | Widespread and very common. Often the most common bird in the forests |
Goldcrest | Regulus regulus | A few in the mountains |
Corsican Nuthatch | Sitta whiteheadi | Seen very well in the Asco Valley and in the Forest of Valdu-Niellu (near the Col de Vergio). Their habitat is restricted to mature Laricio Pine forest with plenty of dead snags for nesting |
Eurasian Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes koenigi | Extremely common, and very vocal. The song seemed to have a different 'shape' to the British version |
Spotless Starling | Sturnus unicolor | Very common in all lowland and agricultural areas |
Mistle Thrush | Turdus viscivorus | About five noted in the mountains |
Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | One or two noted |
Common Blackbird | Turdus merula | Common |
Spotted Flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | One at Calvi |
European Robin | Erithacus rubecula | Common |
Common Nightingale | Luscinia megarhynchos | By the end of the week, they were singing everywhere in the lowlands |
European Pied Flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | One at Macinaggio |
Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | Fairly common in the mountains |
Common Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | Five noted on migration |
Blue Rock Thrush | Monticola solitarius | Seen at several coastal locations, and at Scala di Santa Regina |
Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | One at Barcaggio |
European Stonechat | Saxicola rubicola | Common in the lowlands |
Northern Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | A few in the mountains, and about 10 on migration at the coast |
Dunnock | Prunella modularis | A few in the mountains |
Italian Sparrow | Passer italiae | Common |
Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | A few noted in the mountains |
White Wagtail | Motacilla alba | A few noted at scattered localities |
Tawny Pipit | Anthus campestris | One at Barcaggio, and another 2 at Macinaggio |
Tree Pipit | Anthus trivialis | Two at Macinaggio |
Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | Only two identified, at Macinaggio |
Eurasian Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | Very common |
European Greenfinch | Chloris chloris | Common |
Common Linnet | Linaria cannabina | Common |
Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | Common in the pine forests |
Corsican Finch | Carduelis corsicana | Common in the mountains, and locally down to sea level, e.g. at Calvi. Best distinguished from Citril Finch by the unstreaked brown back |
European Goldfinch | Carduelis carduelis | Common |
European Serin | Serinus serinus | Common |
Corn Bunting | Emberiza calandra | Locally common in agricultural areas |
Cirl Bunting | Emberiza cirlus | Very common in the lowlands |