Birds of Greyabbey
What has actually been seen around Greyabbey: 137 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 137 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,407 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 9 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Greyabbey
137 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Greyabbey (Ards and North Down) since 2010, across 2,407 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Hooded Crow and Common Buzzard.
The records split between garden birds (54%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Greyabbey sees the familiar Robin, Hooded Crow and Woodpigeon, while Black-headed Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
9 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 May and are lowest in November — about 3.2 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.
Ballywalter, 5 km to the east, has fewer species on record (81 against 137). Birds logged far more often around Greyabbey than there include Mute Swan, Mallard, Little Grebe and Common Moorhen.
Daylight runs from 17 h 16 min at midsummer to 7 h 16 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:22 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Greyabbey
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 99 |
| 2 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 79 |
| 3 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 67 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 67 |
| 5 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 59 |
| 6 | BrantBranta bernicla | 58 |
| 7 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 56 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 55 |
| 9 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 54 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 54 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 52 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 51 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 49 |
| 14 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 48 |
| 15 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 47 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 47 |
| 17 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 46 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 44 |
| 19 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 44 |
| 20 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 42 |
Records by month
What to put out in Greyabbey
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 Greyabbey?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Greyabbey are Robin, Hooded Crow, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Great Tit, based on 2,407 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Greyabbey?
137 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Greyabbey?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:45.
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.