Birds of Sanquhar
What has actually been seen around Sanquhar: 96 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 96 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,636 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Chaffinch
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 141 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Sanquhar
96 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sanquhar (Dumfries and Galloway) since 2010, across 1,636 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Chaffinch, Robin and Common Pheasant.
Sanquhar is a garden-bird place: 78% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Chaffinch, Robin, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel. 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 March and are lowest in September — about 31.0 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.
Kirkconnel, 5 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (82 against 96).
Daylight runs from 17 h 28 min at midsummer to 7 h 6 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:33 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Sanquhar
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 119 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 106 |
| 3 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 104 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 98 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 95 |
| 6 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 91 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 89 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 84 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 61 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 60 |
| 11 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 43 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 42 |
| 13 | MagpiePica pica | 41 |
| 14 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 37 |
| 15 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 33 |
| 16 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 28 |
| 17 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 22 |
| 18 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 22 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 21 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 21 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sanquhar
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 Sanquhar?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sanquhar are Chaffinch, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Rook, based on 1,636 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sanquhar?
96 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sanquhar?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:33.
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.