Ards and North Down · 54.38°N

Birds of Portaferry

What has actually been seen around Portaferry: 140 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 140 within 5 km
Observation records: 2,360 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Gray Heron
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 11 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.2 h / 7.3 h

What the records say about Portaferry

140 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portaferry (Ards and North Down) since 2010, across 2,360 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Gray Heron, Robin and Eurasian Oystercatcher.

Water shapes this list. 46% of records near Portaferry are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Gray Heron, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Robin is still the most logged garden bird.

9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.

Records peak in June and are lowest in January — about 4.4 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.

Killyleagh, 7 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (143 against 140). Birds logged far more often around Portaferry than there include Sandwich Tern, Common Tern and European Shag.

Daylight runs from 17 h 14 min at midsummer to 7 h 18 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:22 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Portaferry

#	Bird	Records
1	Gray HeronArdea cinerea	85
2	RobinErithacus rubecula	82
3	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	78
4	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	77
5	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	71
6	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	59
7	BlackbirdTurdus merula	56
8	Hooded CrowCorvus cornix	51
9	Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata	50
10	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	48
11	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	47
12	Common RedshankTringa totanus	46
13	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	46
14	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	46
15	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	44
16	RookCorvus frugilegus	43
17	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	40
18	Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis	40
19	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	39
20	JackdawColoeus monedula	39

Records by month

What to put out in Portaferry

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Chaffinch
Sunflower hearts · Seed mix
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Wren
Mealworms · Suet pellets

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 Portaferry?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portaferry are Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Hooded Crow and Barn Swallow, based on 2,360 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Portaferry?

140 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Portaferry?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.

Sources

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.