Birds of Bushmills
What has actually been seen around Bushmills: 142 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 142 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 11,700 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Bushmills
142 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bushmills (Causeway Coast and Glens) since 2010, across 11,700 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Pied Wagtail and Jackdaw.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (38%), so a feeder in Bushmills sees the familiar Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw and Rook, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Peregrine Falcon.
Records peak in June and are lowest in February — about 8.8 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.
Portrush, 8 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (143 against 142). Birds logged far more often around Bushmills than there include European Stonechat, Eurasian Curlew, Common Kestrel and Common Whitethroat.
Daylight runs from 17 h 26 min at midsummer to 7 h 8 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:24 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bushmills
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 585 |
| 2 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 539 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 533 |
| 4 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 529 |
| 5 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 428 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 417 |
| 7 | Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis | 396 |
| 8 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 395 |
| 9 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 347 |
| 10 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 340 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 339 |
| 12 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 330 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 304 |
| 14 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 299 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 288 |
| 16 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 261 |
| 17 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 255 |
| 18 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 254 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 248 |
| 20 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 246 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bushmills
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Wren
Mealworms · Suet pellets
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- 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 Bushmills?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bushmills are Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Rook, Wren and European Stonechat, based on 11,700 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bushmills?
142 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bushmills?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44.
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.