Causeway Coast and Glens · 55.24°N

Birds of Ballintoy Harbour

What has actually been seen around Ballintoy Harbour: 113 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 113 within 5 km
Observation records: 4,898 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Northern Fulmar
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 4 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.4 h / 7.1 h

What the records say about Ballintoy Harbour

113 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ballintoy Harbour (Causeway Coast and Glens) since 2010, across 4,898 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Northern Fulmar, European Herring Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake.

Water shapes this list. 52% of records near Ballintoy Harbour are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Northern Fulmar, European Herring Gull and Black-legged Kittiwake lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Eurasian Rock Pipit is still the most logged garden bird.

6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders 2–3 metres from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.

Records peak in June and are lowest in January — about 40.8 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.

Ballycastle, 9 km to the south-east, has more species on record (127 against 113). Birds logged far more often around Ballintoy Harbour than there include European Stonechat.

Daylight runs from 17 h 26 min at midsummer to 7 h 7 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:23 in mid-April and 4:43 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Ballintoy Harbour

#	Bird	Records
1	Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis	274
2	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	241
3	Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla	237
4	RazorbillAlca torda	209
5	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	205
6	Common MurreUria aalge	171
7	Northern GannetMorus bassanus	168
8	Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus	163
9	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	149
10	JackdawColoeus monedula	137
11	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	136
12	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	125
13	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	124
14	Rock PigeonColumba livia	115
15	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	112
16	Common GullLarus canus	109
17	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	108
18	Hooded CrowCorvus cornix	107
19	Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis	106
20	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	98

Records by month

What to put out in Ballintoy Harbour

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

Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Wren
Mealworms · Suet pellets
Starling
Suet · Mealworms
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

Seasonal bird notes for Causeway Coast and Glens

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 Ballintoy Harbour?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ballintoy Harbour are Eurasian Rock Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Barn Swallow and Rock Pigeon, based on 4,898 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Ballintoy Harbour?

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

When is the best month for birds in Ballintoy Harbour?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:43.

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.