Birds of Thornhill
What has actually been seen around Thornhill: 67 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 67 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 223 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 52 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Thornhill
67 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thornhill (Dumfries and Galloway) since 2010, across 223 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Blackbird and Chaffinch.
Thornhill is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Chaffinch, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Tawny Owl. 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 April and are lowest in January — about 56.0 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.
Moniaive, 11 km to the west, has more species on record (113 against 67).
Daylight runs from 17 h 26 min at midsummer to 7 h 7 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 Thornhill
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 11 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 10 |
| 3 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 10 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 10 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 10 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 9 |
| 7 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 9 |
| 8 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 8 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 8 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 7 |
| 11 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 7 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 6 |
| 13 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 6 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 6 |
| 15 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 5 |
| 16 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 5 |
| 17 | White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus | 5 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 4 |
| 19 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 4 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 4 |
Records by month
What to put out in Thornhill
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 Thornhill?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thornhill are Blackbird, Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon, based on 223 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Thornhill?
67 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Thornhill?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in January. 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.