Birds of Portpatrick
What has actually been seen around Portpatrick: 104 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 104 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,172 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 6 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Portpatrick
104 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portpatrick (Dumfries and Galloway) since 2010, across 2,172 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Black Guillemot and Jackdaw.
The records split between garden birds (59%) and waterbirds (37%), so a feeder in Portpatrick sees the familiar Jackdaw, Rock Pigeon and Eurasian Rock Pipit, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
5 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 September and are lowest in November — about 15.8 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.
Stranraer, 9 km to the north-east, has more species on record (138 against 104). Birds logged far more often around Portpatrick than there include Northern Fulmar, Dunnock, Wren and Common Raven.
Daylight runs from 17 h 20 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:19 in mid-April and 4:41 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Portpatrick
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 148 |
| 2 | Black GuillemotCepphus grylle | 119 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 117 |
| 4 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 102 |
| 5 | Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis | 61 |
| 6 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 59 |
| 7 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 58 |
| 8 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 57 |
| 9 | Northern GannetMorus bassanus | 55 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 52 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 51 |
| 12 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 48 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 48 |
| 14 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 46 |
| 15 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 46 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 45 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 43 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 42 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 41 |
| 20 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 40 |
Records by month
What to put out in Portpatrick
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 Portpatrick?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portpatrick are Jackdaw, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Rock Pipit, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 2,172 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Portpatrick?
104 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Portpatrick?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:41.
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.