Birds of Ballygowan
What has actually been seen around Ballygowan: 85 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 85 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,856 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 58 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Ballygowan
85 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ballygowan (Ards and North Down) since 2010, across 2,856 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, House Sparrow and Chaffinch.
Ballygowan is a garden-bird place: 95% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
5 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 August and are lowest in February — about 87.1 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.
Saintfield, 5 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (66 against 85). Birds logged far more often around Ballygowan than there include Common Reed Bunting, Common Linnet, Sedge Warbler and Meadow Pipit.
Daylight runs from 17 h 16 min at midsummer to 7 h 16 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 Ballygowan
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 138 |
| 2 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 121 |
| 3 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 116 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 113 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 111 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 110 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 109 |
| 8 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 104 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 99 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 97 |
| 11 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 90 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 89 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 86 |
| 14 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 86 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 85 |
| 16 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 83 |
| 17 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 79 |
| 18 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 71 |
| 19 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 69 |
| 20 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 65 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ballygowan
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Ards and North Down
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 Ballygowan?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ballygowan are Robin, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Jackdaw and Blackbird, based on 2,856 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ballygowan?
85 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ballygowan?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in February. 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.