Birds of Isle of Islay
What has actually been seen around Isle of Islay: 166 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 166 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,361 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
- Busiest month
- February
- Elevation
- 20 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Isle of Islay
166 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Isle of Islay (Argyll and Bute) since 2010, across 8,361 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, Barnacle Goose and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 61% of records near Isle of Islay are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Eurasian Oystercatcher, Barnacle Goose and European Herring Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Starling is still the most logged garden bird.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in February and are lowest in August — about 11.1 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.
Bowmore, 4 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (157 against 166). Birds logged far more often around Isle of Islay than there include Corn Crake and Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 17 h 34 min at midsummer to 6 h 60 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:22 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Isle of Islay
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 271 |
| 2 | Barnacle GooseBranta leucopsis | 253 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 222 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 198 |
| 5 | Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator | 177 |
| 6 | Common GullLarus canus | 175 |
| 7 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 170 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 168 |
| 9 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 167 |
| 10 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 166 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 157 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 154 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 153 |
| 14 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 147 |
| 15 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 139 |
| 16 | Common LoonGavia immer | 138 |
| 17 | BrantBranta bernicla | 124 |
| 18 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 123 |
| 19 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 122 |
| 20 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 120 |
Records by month
What to put out in Isle of Islay
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 Isle of Islay?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Isle of Islay are Starling, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Robin and Blackbird, based on 8,361 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Isle of Islay?
166 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Isle of Islay?
Observation records peak in February and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.