Perch Supply
Argyll and Bute · 55.98°N

Birds of Sandbank

What has actually been seen around Sandbank: 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
11,850 since 2010
Most recorded bird
European Herring Gull
Busiest month
May
Elevation
14 m
Daylight, June / December
17.6 h / 7 h

What the records say about Sandbank

166 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sandbank (Argyll and Bute) since 2010, across 11,850 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Eurasian Oystercatcher.

Water shapes this list. 40% of records near Sandbank are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Common Eider lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 6.0 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.

Dunoon, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (160 against 166).

Daylight runs from 17 h 37 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:16 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Sandbank

#BirdRecords
1European Herring GullLarus argentatus532
2WoodpigeonColumba palumbus330
3Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus326
4Carrion CrowCorvus corone325
5House SparrowPasser domesticus280
6BlackbirdTurdus merula270
7RobinErithacus rubecula263
8Hooded CrowCorvus cornix253
9ChaffinchFringilla coelebs243
10Common EiderSomateria mollissima232
11Common GullLarus canus220
12MagpiePica pica219
13JackdawColoeus monedula210
14MallardAnas platyrhynchos205
15Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo203
16Gray HeronArdea cinerea198
17Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus191
18GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis190
19WrenTroglodytes troglodytes189
20Rock PigeonColumba livia187

Records by month

What to put out in Sandbank

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

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 Sandbank?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sandbank are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Blackbird and Robin, based on 11,850 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Sandbank?

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 Sandbank?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:32.

Sources

  1. GBIF occurrence search (birds, class Aves, 2010 onward)
  2. 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.