Causeway Coast and Glens · 55.20°N

Birds of Ballycastle

What has actually been seen around Ballycastle: 127 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 127 within 5 km
Observation records: 3,544 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 11 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.4 h / 7.1 h

What the records say about Ballycastle

127 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ballycastle (Causeway Coast and Glens) since 2010, across 3,544 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Jackdaw and Rook.

Water shapes this list. 48% of records near Ballycastle are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Northern Gannet lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Jackdaw is still the most logged garden bird.

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

Records peak in May and are lowest in March — about 95.2 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.

Ballypatrick, 6 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (109 against 127). Birds logged far more often around Ballycastle than there include Black Guillemot, Razorbill, Rock Pigeon and Swift.

Daylight runs from 17 h 26 min at midsummer to 7 h 8 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 Ballycastle

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	200
2	JackdawColoeus monedula	166
3	RookCorvus frugilegus	159
4	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	139
5	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	122
6	Northern GannetMorus bassanus	114
7	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	106
8	Hooded CrowCorvus cornix	93
9	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	90
10	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	90
11	Black GuillemotCepphus grylle	87
12	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	85
13	RazorbillAlca torda	84
14	Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla	75
15	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	73
16	Rock PigeonColumba livia	73
17	House SparrowPasser domesticus	72
18	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	71
19	Common MurreUria aalge	70
20	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	70

Records by month

What to put out in Ballycastle

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

Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Starling
Suet · Mealworms
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts

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 Ballycastle?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ballycastle are Jackdaw, Rook, Pied Wagtail, Barn Swallow and Hooded Crow, based on 3,544 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Ballycastle?

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

When is the best month for birds in Ballycastle?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in March. 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.