Birds of Helensburgh
What has actually been seen around Helensburgh: 136 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 136 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,336 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 27 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Helensburgh
136 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Helensburgh (Argyll and Bute) since 2010, across 4,336 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 53% of records near Helensburgh are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull and Eurasian Curlew lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 43.7 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.
Rosneath, 5 km to the west, has fewer species on record (109 against 136). Birds logged far more often around Helensburgh than there include Common Shelduck, Little Egret, Eurasian Teal and Canada Goose.
Daylight runs from 17 h 38 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Helensburgh
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 183 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 154 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 141 |
| 4 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 128 |
| 5 | Common GullLarus canus | 127 |
| 6 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 111 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 105 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 102 |
| 9 | Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator | 100 |
| 10 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 100 |
| 11 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 97 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 94 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 93 |
| 14 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 91 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 91 |
| 16 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 86 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 84 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 79 |
| 19 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 78 |
| 20 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 78 |
Records by month
What to put out in Helensburgh
Seasonal bird notes for Argyll and Bute
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 Helensburgh?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Helensburgh are Carrion Crow, Robin, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird, based on 4,336 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Helensburgh?
136 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Helensburgh?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.