Birds of Antrim
What has actually been seen around Antrim: 108 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 108 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 9,647 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 33 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Antrim
108 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Antrim (Antrim and Newtownabbey) since 2010, across 9,647 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Mallard and Woodpigeon.
Antrim 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. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Hooded Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 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 June and are lowest in September — about 1.9 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.
Randalstown, 7 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (95 against 108). Birds logged far more often around Antrim than there include Gray Heron, Mute Swan, Common Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail.
Daylight runs from 17 h 19 min at midsummer to 7 h 14 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:24 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Antrim
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 432 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 369 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 366 |
| 4 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 366 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 365 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 352 |
| 7 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 345 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 334 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 332 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 317 |
| 11 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 310 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 306 |
| 13 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 294 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 292 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 286 |
| 16 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 256 |
| 17 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 237 |
| 18 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 235 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 231 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 214 |
Records by month
What to put out in Antrim
Seasonal bird notes for Antrim and Newtownabbey
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 Antrim?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Antrim are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Hooded Crow and Magpie, based on 9,647 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Antrim?
108 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Antrim?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.
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.