Birds of Scotby
What has actually been seen around Scotby: 140 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 140 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,572 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 30 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Scotby
140 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Scotby (Cumbria) since 2010, across 13,572 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Jackdaw.
Scotby is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard 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 May and are lowest in September — about 2.7 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.
Great Corby, 3 km to the east, has fewer species on record (103 against 140). Birds logged far more often around Scotby than there include Great Cormorant, Eurasian Coot and Redwing.
Daylight runs from 17 h 21 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:32 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Scotby
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 848 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 808 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 677 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 638 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 613 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 530 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 486 |
| 8 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 473 |
| 9 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 410 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 406 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 376 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 362 |
| 13 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 342 |
| 14 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 340 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 298 |
| 16 | MagpiePica pica | 294 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 244 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 239 |
| 19 | SwiftApus apus | 239 |
| 20 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 239 |
Records by month
What to put out in Scotby
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Seasonal bird notes for Cumbria
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 Scotby?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Scotby are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 13,572 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Scotby?
140 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Scotby?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:32.
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.