Birds of Kirriemuir
What has actually been seen around Kirriemuir: 148 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 148 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 10,532 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mute Swan
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 133 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.8 h / 6.8 h
What the records say about Kirriemuir
148 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Kirriemuir (Angus) since 2010, across 10,532 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mute Swan, Mallard and Carrion Crow.
The records split between garden birds (53%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Kirriemuir sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Chaffinch, while Mute Swan and others turn up on nearby water.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier and Osprey.
Records peak in April and are lowest in December — about 4.6 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.
Forfar, 8 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (119 against 148). Birds logged far more often around Kirriemuir than there include Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Tree Sparrow, Common Redshank and Water Rail.
Daylight runs from 17 h 48 min at midsummer to 6 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:19 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Kirriemuir
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 324 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 324 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 303 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 300 |
| 5 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 298 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 270 |
| 7 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 264 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 252 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 249 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 247 |
| 11 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 234 |
| 12 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 229 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 212 |
| 14 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 207 |
| 15 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 202 |
| 16 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 194 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 187 |
| 18 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 180 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 179 |
| 20 | Eurasian Marsh-HarrierCircus aeruginosus | 177 |
Records by month
What to put out in Kirriemuir
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 Kirriemuir?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Kirriemuir are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Great Tit, based on 10,532 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Kirriemuir?
148 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Kirriemuir?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. 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.