Birds of Moffat
What has actually been seen around Moffat: 113 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 113 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,526 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 123 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Moffat
113 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Moffat (Dumfries and Galloway) since 2010, across 1,526 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Chaffinch.
Moffat is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 15.2 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.
Lochmaben, 23 km to the south, has more species on record (122 against 113). Birds logged far more often around Moffat than there include European Nightjar.
Daylight runs from 17 h 27 min at midsummer to 7 h 6 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Moffat
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 71 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 66 |
| 3 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 63 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 60 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 56 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 49 |
| 7 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 46 |
| 8 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 42 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 40 |
| 10 | European NightjarCaprimulgus europaeus | 39 |
| 11 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 37 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 37 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 37 |
| 14 | SwiftApus apus | 36 |
| 15 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 33 |
| 16 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 31 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 30 |
| 18 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 30 |
| 19 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 28 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 27 |
Records by month
What to put out in Moffat
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 Moffat?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Moffat are Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Robin, based on 1,526 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Moffat?
113 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Moffat?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.