Birds of Castle Douglas
What has actually been seen around Castle Douglas: 128 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 128 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 5,612 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 59 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Castle Douglas
128 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Castle Douglas (Dumfries and Galloway) since 2010, across 5,612 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Red Kite and Common Buzzard.
The records split between garden birds (55%) and waterbirds (33%), so a feeder in Castle Douglas sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Robin and Blackbird, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Osprey.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 4.7 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.
Dalbeattie, 7 km to the east, has fewer species on record (88 against 128). Birds logged far more often around Castle Douglas than there include Mute Swan, Osprey, Willow Warbler and Common Merganser.
Daylight runs from 17 h 22 min at midsummer to 7 h 11 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Castle Douglas
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 195 |
| 2 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 179 |
| 3 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 166 |
| 4 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 163 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 151 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 149 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 148 |
| 8 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 148 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 147 |
| 10 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 141 |
| 11 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 138 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 135 |
| 13 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 132 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 121 |
| 15 | OspreyPandion haliaetus | 119 |
| 16 | Great TitParus major | 107 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 100 |
| 18 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 97 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 93 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 92 |
Records by month
What to put out in Castle Douglas
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Dumfries and Galloway
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 Castle Douglas?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Castle Douglas are Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Barn Swallow, based on 5,612 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Castle Douglas?
128 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Castle Douglas?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.