Birds of Portrush
What has actually been seen around Portrush: 143 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 143 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,616 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 11 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Portrush
143 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portrush (Causeway Coast and Glens) since 2010, across 7,616 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Starling and House Sparrow.
Water shapes this list. 47% of records near Portrush are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Great Cormorant lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Starling is still the most logged garden bird.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in July and are lowest in February — about 3.4 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.
Portstewart, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (159 against 143). Birds logged far more often around Portrush than there include Little Grebe and Eurasian Coot.
Daylight runs from 17 h 25 min at midsummer to 7 h 8 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 in mid-April and 4:45 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Portrush
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 519 |
| 2 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 416 |
| 3 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 334 |
| 4 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 269 |
| 5 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 268 |
| 6 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 261 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 257 |
| 8 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 236 |
| 9 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 226 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 215 |
| 11 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 201 |
| 12 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 201 |
| 13 | Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres | 196 |
| 14 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 184 |
| 15 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 171 |
| 16 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 144 |
| 17 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 142 |
| 18 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 138 |
| 19 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 131 |
| 20 | Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis | 130 |
Records by month
What to put out in Portrush
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
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 Portrush?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portrush are Starling, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw and Rook, based on 7,616 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Portrush?
143 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Portrush?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:45.
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.