Birds of Forfar
What has actually been seen around Forfar: 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
- 3,512 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 63 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.8 h / 6.8 h
What the records say about Forfar
119 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Forfar (Angus) since 2010, across 3,512 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Mute Swan and Mallard.
Water shapes this list. 42% of records near Forfar are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mute Swan, Mallard and Eurasian Coot lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Red Kite.
Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 9.2 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.
Letham, 8 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (116 against 119). Birds logged far more often around Forfar than there include Magpie and Redwing.
Daylight runs from 17 h 48 min at midsummer to 6 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:19 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Forfar
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 139 |
| 2 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 123 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 123 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 122 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 118 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 115 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 102 |
| 8 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 93 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 86 |
| 10 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 86 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 85 |
| 12 | GadwallMareca strepera | 83 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 81 |
| 14 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 81 |
| 15 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 76 |
| 16 | Great TitParus major | 74 |
| 17 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis | 67 |
| 18 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 67 |
| 19 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 62 |
| 20 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 61 |
Records by month
What to put out in Forfar
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Angus
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 Forfar?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Forfar are Woodpigeon, Robin, Magpie, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 3,512 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Forfar?
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 Forfar?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:19.
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.