Birds of Portlethen
What has actually been seen around Portlethen: 183 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 183 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,074 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 80 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.9 h / 6.7 h
What the records say about Portlethen
183 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portlethen (Aberdeenshire) since 2010, across 6,074 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Blackbird and European Herring Gull.
Portlethen is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Blackbird, House Sparrow and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 May and are lowest in December — about 4.3 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.
Newtonhill, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (159 against 183). Birds logged far more often around Portlethen than there include Mute Swan, Eurasian Coot, Tufted Duck and Little Grebe.
Daylight runs from 17 h 55 min at midsummer to 6 h 42 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:12 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Portlethen
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 261 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 229 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 225 |
| 4 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 206 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 197 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 190 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 178 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 173 |
| 9 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 140 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 139 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 134 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 127 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 120 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 120 |
| 15 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 106 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 105 |
| 17 | Common GullLarus canus | 100 |
| 18 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 87 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 87 |
| 20 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 80 |
Records by month
What to put out in Portlethen
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- 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 Portlethen?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portlethen are Magpie, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow, based on 6,074 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Portlethen?
183 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Portlethen?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:12.
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.