This post focuses on pond birds found in the UK. Many species of birds can be found on and around UK ponds, from large wading birds to smaller, brightly colored species. The most common sightings include mallards, moorhens, coots, and grey herons.
Find out more! If you’d like to know more about why we decided to do a year long pond study, this is the post for you!
Common Pond Birds in the UK
Mallard
The mallard is the most common and widespread pond bird in the UK, and we have lots of them at our pond.
Identification
Males have a glossy green head, a yellow bill, a white neck collar, and a grey body. Females are mottled brown with an orange bill. After the breeding season, they lose their feathers and are flightless for a time. Unfortunately, this makes them vulnerable to predators
Behaviour
Often seen dabbling at the water’s surface for food. Mallards tend to be quite friendly, especially in village ponds, where they are likely to be used to humans. At our pond, we have noticed over the years that the mallard males become very aggressive during mating season.
Read this! If you’d like to read about the day we assessed the pond and planned out our learning.
Moorhen
The moorhen is a widespread water bird often seen around park lakes, ponds, and rivers. We have had a pair of nesting moorhens on our pond for as long as I have lived in the village:
Identification
Dark, blackish plumage with a distinctive red bill that has a yellow tip. They also have white markings on their flanks and undertail.
Behaviour
Spends time both on the water and on land, and is known for flicking its white tail while foraging. Our moorhens like to nest in the middle of the pond on the roots of our ash tree.
Coot
The coot is a familiar resident of wetlands, larger than the moorhen. We have multiple ponds in our village. Whilst we have no coots in the small pond we are studying this year, there are many on the more expansive pond at the top of the village.
Identification: Entirely black body with a prominent white beak and a white “frontal shield” on its forehead. Its feet have lobed flaps for swimming.
Behaviour: More aquatic than the moorhen, spending most of its time on the water diving for food. Can be aggressive and territorial.
Grey Heron
A large, tall, and unmistakable long-legged bird, we have had a resident heron for years. I have seen him in our wooded area, as well as on the roof of the house next to ours peering into our own back garden pond!
Identification
The grey heron is, unsurprisingly, mostly grey on the back and wings, with a white neck, a yellow bill, and a black crest.
Behaviour
Hunts by standing motionless in shallow water and can be found almost anywhere with water, including garden ponds.
Read more! You can find our study of pond fauna here
Other Pond Birds in the UK to Spot
Kingfisher
This beautiful, vibrant bird can be seen near clean, slow-moving or still water. We have never seen a kingfisher in our small pond but have once in the bigger village pond
Identification
Unmistakable with a brilliant metallic blue back and a bright orange-brown chest. It is a small bird, about the size of a robin.
Behaviour
Dives quickly and efficiently into the water to catch small fish.
Little Grebe
A small, dumpy diving water bird.
Identification
In summer, it has a chestnut-red neck and cheeks and a yellowish patch at the base of its bill. In winter, it is a paler grey-brown.
Behaviour
Often seen on small ponds and lakes, disappearing below the surface to catch invertebrates and emerging some distance away.
Water Rail
A shy and secretive bird that is more often heard than seen.
Identification
Similar to a moorhen but with a longer, finer red bill and grey underparts. It is a rusty-brown color on its back.
Behaviour
Stays hidden within the dense vegetation at the water’s edge.
Little Egret
A small white heron that is becoming more common in the UK.
Identification
All white plumage with a thin black bill and long black legs with bright yellow feet.
Behaviour
Stalks its prey slowly in shallow water.
This is a great point to read about when we helped an injured duck!
The Different Pond Birds in our UK Village Pond
Seagulls
We have lots of seagulls in our pond. It’s funny, because we don’t live anywhere near a beach. I mean, literally, we live just outside London! My mum hates the gulls with a passion. I like them. They look nice and they make sounds which are reminiscent of being at the coast. Win win.
Moorhens
Our treat, however, was spying a nest at the beginning of the week:
Read about our very own pond ecosystem as well as our examination of the pond water
By the end of the week we found out:
We also managed to get a rare good picture of her mate swimming about:
Click here to read about the animals and plants we have found around our pond
Grey Heron
Our Heron also arrived whilst we were there. We have recently discovered it is a Grey Heron. I have to be honest- before this pond study I had always thought it a rather unattractive bird. No more however! Doing concentrated nature study has allowed me to see rather than simply look. I have fallen in love! I think it is one of the most beautiful birds I have ever encountered, and I want to learn more!
Mandarin Duck
I also managed to capture the Mandarin duck looking a little clownish, out of the water. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it walking before. I had a little smile on my face as I snapped away:
A Pair of Canada Geese.
At the beginning of our pond study, I had decided we would focus on one tree for the whole year. I’m so pleased we did. Already we know more about the Ash tree than any other, and there is still stacks to learn. Depth rather than breadth has always appealed to me, and this pond study is no exception. I got me thinking. Each week we watch and take lots of photos of all the birds we see around the pond, and yet we have learnt more about our one little tree than about all the birds put together. So I thought maybe we could do a bird study, focusing on one bird.
T11 suggested that instead of just one bird, how about we are more intentional with all the birds. I liked that. To be honest, concentrating on just one bird would have meant we may have missed out on the other ones. I’m completely fascinated by the birds (as you can probably tell from the copious number of photos). Also the girls were having trouble picking one. You see, these birds have become our friends and to pick only one inevitably meant leaving another out, ‘who might then feel hurt, mummy!’
As we planned the possibility of several bird studies, I thought I’d direct you to our Ash Tree Study which we began right at the start and its extension Ash Tree and Lichen
And just because I can’t resist:
Looong happy sigh…just gorgeous!
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