Birds of Newtownards
What has actually been seen around Newtownards: 118 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 118 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,343 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Brant
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 9 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Newtownards
118 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Newtownards (Ards and North Down) since 2010, across 2,343 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Brant, Black-headed Gull and Robin.
Water shapes this list. 49% of records near Newtownards are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Brant, Black-headed Gull and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Robin is still the most logged garden bird.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in October and are lowest in November — about 5.7 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.
Comber, 6 km to the south-west, has more species on record (165 against 118). Birds logged far more often around Newtownards than there include Swift and Northern Pintail.
Daylight runs from 17 h 17 min at midsummer to 7 h 15 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 Newtownards
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BrantBranta bernicla | 99 |
| 2 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 95 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 89 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 71 |
| 5 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 63 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 62 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 60 |
| 8 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 60 |
| 9 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 54 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 53 |
| 11 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 52 |
| 12 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 50 |
| 13 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 48 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 48 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 48 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 46 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 45 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 44 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 44 |
| 20 | SwiftApus apus | 43 |
Records by month
What to put out in Newtownards
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 Newtownards?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Newtownards are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie and Hooded Crow, based on 2,343 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Newtownards?
118 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Newtownards?
Observation records peak in October 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.