Turdus torquatus

Red List

Ring Ouzel is a rare spring passage migrant from April to June on Lewis (1954, 1979, 1992, 1993, 2014, 2015), Harris with nine records (1982, 1988, 1994, 1998, 2012, 2013, 2021, 2022), South Uist (1982, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2010, 2017, 2018), and St. Kilda with 16 known records between 1963 – 2023. It is very rare on North Uist (2008, 2012, 2019, 2021), Benbecula (1999, 2003), Barra (2022), Vatersay (2015), North Rona (1977, 1989), and Mingulay (2012).

TThere have been several records of potential breeding attempts primarily from Lewis and Harris, but none have been proven.

There are no records in July.

Ring Ouzel is a scarce autumn passage migrant to South Uist and Barra from August to November. It is rare on Lewis with ten records (2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2020), North Uist (1976, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2021), St. Kilda with 22 known records between 1965 – 2021, and North Rona with seven records (1959, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1981, 2001). It is very rare on Benbecula (2014, 2017, 2021), and Mingulay (1975). The highest autumn counts in any one year have been on St. Kilda in 1993 and 1996, when nine and seven birds were present and Barra in 2005 and 2021 when eight and at least nine birds were present on the island in those years.

During the autumn, Ring Ouzel occurs primarily in October with only nine records in September and four in November.

There are two winter records involving three single birds present in December 1976, but details are vague, and no dates or locations were given, and on Lewis in January 1993.

Undoubtedly birds of Fennoscandian origin occur on passage and a few on spring passage are also likely to see our islands as a destination although there have been no confirmed breeding records.

There are eleven known historic records on Lewis (1909, 1915), Harris (1881), North Uist (1883), Barra (1897), Flannan Isles (1907-10, 1914), and the Monach islands (1920).

More detailed information can be found here

Ring Ouzel, Barra 2019 © Bruce Taylor