Birds of Westhill
What has actually been seen around Westhill: 119 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 119 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,303 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 127 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.9 h / 6.7 h
What the records say about Westhill
119 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Westhill (Aberdeenshire) since 2010, across 3,303 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Westhill is a garden-bird place: 70% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 August and are lowest in February — about 6.3 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.
Kingswells, 3 km to the east, has fewer species on record (111 against 119). Birds logged far more often around Westhill than there include Mute Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Red Kite and Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 17 h 56 min at midsummer to 6 h 41 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 Westhill
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 383 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 190 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 134 |
| 4 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 126 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 124 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 115 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 102 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 99 |
| 9 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 85 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 85 |
| 11 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 78 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 75 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 73 |
| 14 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 72 |
| 15 | Common GullLarus canus | 63 |
| 16 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 61 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 58 |
| 18 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 55 |
| 19 | SwiftApus apus | 50 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 49 |
Records by month
What to put out in Westhill
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Westhill?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Westhill are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 3,303 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Westhill?
119 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Westhill?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in February. 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.