Great Northern Diver (Gavia immer)Where and when to see it in the UK
Winter visitor · reporting peaks November to January · Loons · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Great Northern Diver has been recorded in 1,035 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (35%) in records to 2026. Winter visitor in the UK. Its strongest squares are in Scotland, England and Wales. Reporting peaks in November to January.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 28% or more of visits
- High
- 9% to 28%
- Moderate
- 2% to 9%
- Low
- under 2%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 85% | 2% | Very high |
| February | 52% | 1% | Very high |
| March | 41% | 1% | Very high |
| April | 39% | 1% | Very high |
| May | 48% | 1% | Very high |
| June | 19% | <1% | High |
| July | 5% | <1% | Very high |
| August | 4% | <1% | Low |
| September | 14% | <1% | Low |
| October | 38% | 1% | Very high |
| November | 96% | 3% | Very high |
| December | 100% | 3% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in January
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| C73 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| C83 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D23 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HY20 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| HY40 | Orkney Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J37 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J38 | Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| ND26 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| ND35 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NG99 | Highland, Scotland | 100% | Very high |