Birds of Alford
What has actually been seen around Alford: 81 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 81 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 661 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 149 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 18 h / 6.7 h
What the records say about Alford
81 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Alford (Aberdeenshire) since 2010, across 661 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow.
Alford is a garden-bird place: 81% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
5 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Osprey. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders 2–3 metres from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in September and are lowest in November — about 119.5 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and winter visitors), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.
Lumphanan, 12 km to the south, has more species on record (111 against 81). Birds logged far more often around Alford than there include Western Capercaillie.
Daylight runs from 17 h 58 min at midsummer to 6 h 39 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:13 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Alford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 36 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 33 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 32 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 28 |
| 5 | Western CapercaillieTetrao urogallus | 26 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 25 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 25 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 24 |
| 9 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 23 |
| 10 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 20 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 18 |
| 12 | MagpiePica pica | 18 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 18 |
| 14 | SwiftApus apus | 17 |
| 15 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 16 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 16 |
| 17 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 16 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 16 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 16 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 15 |
Records by month
What to put out in Alford
Seasonal bird notes for Aberdeenshire
What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for UK gardens. One email a month at most.
Nearby places
Frequently asked
What birds visit gardens in Alford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Alford are Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Wren, based on 661 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Alford?
81 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Alford?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:13.
Sources
- GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
- GeoNames gazetteer (place, population, elevation)
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.