Aberdeenshire · 57.42°N

Birds of Cruden Bay

What has actually been seen around Cruden Bay: 163 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 163 within 5 km
Observation records: 4,769 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Shag
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 13 m
Daylight, June / December: 18 h / 6.6 h

What the records say about Cruden Bay

163 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cruden Bay (Aberdeenshire) since 2010, across 4,769 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Shag, European Herring Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake.

Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Cruden Bay are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Shag, European Herring Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Jackdaw is still the most logged garden bird.

10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.

Records peak in June and are lowest in January — about 49.3 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.

Hatton, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (139 against 163). Birds logged far more often around Cruden Bay than there include European Shag, Black-legged Kittiwake, Northern Fulmar and Atlantic Puffin.

Daylight runs from 18 h 1 min at midsummer to 6 h 37 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:00 in mid-April and 4:08 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Cruden Bay

#	Bird	Records
1	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	227
2	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	224
3	Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla	219
4	Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis	208
5	Atlantic PuffinFratercula arctica	205
6	RazorbillAlca torda	204
7	Common MurreUria aalge	201
8	JackdawColoeus monedula	151
9	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	130
10	Rock PigeonColumba livia	125
11	Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis	117
12	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	110
13	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	106
14	Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis	103
15	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	97
16	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	92
17	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	85
18	House SparrowPasser domesticus	76
19	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	65
20	Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus	63

Records by month

What to put out in Cruden Bay

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Starling
Suet · Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts

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 Cruden Bay?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cruden Bay are Jackdaw, Rock Pigeon, Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow and Eurasian Skylark, based on 4,769 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Cruden Bay?

163 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Cruden Bay?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:08.

Sources

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.