Birds of Carnmoney
What has actually been seen around Carnmoney: 134 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 134 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,348 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 152 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Carnmoney
134 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Carnmoney (Antrim and Newtownabbey) since 2010, across 4,348 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Robin and Hooded Crow.
Water shapes this list. 41% of records near Carnmoney are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Magpie is still the most logged garden bird.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, 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 December and are lowest in October — about 7.4 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.
Newtownabbey, 4 km to the south-east, has more species on record (175 against 134). Birds logged far more often around Carnmoney than there include House Sparrow, Collared Dove, Common Kestrel and Grey Wagtail.
Daylight runs from 17 h 18 min at midsummer to 7 h 14 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:23 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Carnmoney
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 228 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 191 |
| 3 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 169 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 166 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 159 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 157 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 142 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 111 |
| 9 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 98 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 91 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 89 |
| 12 | BrantBranta bernicla | 87 |
| 13 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 84 |
| 14 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 83 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 82 |
| 16 | SwiftApus apus | 81 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 81 |
| 18 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 77 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 69 |
| 20 | Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres | 68 |
Records by month
What to put out in Carnmoney
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Carnmoney?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Carnmoney are Magpie, Robin, Hooded Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird, based on 4,348 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Carnmoney?
134 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Carnmoney?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in October. 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.