Birds of Whitehills
What has actually been seen around Whitehills: 109 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 109 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,838 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 15 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 18.1 h / 6.5 h
What the records say about Whitehills
109 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Whitehills (Aberdeenshire) since 2010, across 1,838 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Common Eider.
Water shapes this list. 63% of records near Whitehills are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Common Eider lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 143.7 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.
Macduff, 5 km to the east, has more species on record (116 against 109).
Daylight runs from 18 h 5 min at midsummer to 6 h 33 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:02 in mid-April and 4:08 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Whitehills
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 113 |
| 2 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 86 |
| 3 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 76 |
| 4 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 73 |
| 5 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 58 |
| 6 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 58 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 54 |
| 8 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 53 |
| 9 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 51 |
| 10 | Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla | 48 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 48 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 47 |
| 13 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 45 |
| 14 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 42 |
| 15 | Common GullLarus canus | 41 |
| 16 | Common MerganserMergus merganser | 40 |
| 17 | RazorbillAlca torda | 38 |
| 18 | Common MurreUria aalge | 36 |
| 19 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 35 |
| 20 | Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis | 34 |
Records by month
What to put out in Whitehills
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Dunnock
Sunflower hearts · Suet pellets · Crushed peanuts
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 Whitehills?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Whitehills are Carrion Crow, Eurasian Rock Pipit, Jackdaw, Starling and Pied Wagtail, based on 1,838 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Whitehills?
109 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Whitehills?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:08.
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.