Birds of Wigtown
What has actually been seen around Wigtown: 152 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 152 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,020 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Little Egret
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 45 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Wigtown
152 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Wigtown (Dumfries and Galloway) since 2010, across 4,020 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Little Egret, Mallard and Gray Heron.
Water shapes this list. 51% of records near Wigtown are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Little Egret, Mallard and Gray Heron lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in January and are lowest in September — about 3.7 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.
Creetown, 6 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (116 against 152). Birds logged far more often around Wigtown than there include Northern Lapwing, Common Reed Bunting, Northern Shoveler and Little Grebe.
Daylight runs from 17 h 21 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Wigtown
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 132 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 116 |
| 3 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 116 |
| 4 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 110 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 109 |
| 6 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 108 |
| 7 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 97 |
| 8 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 93 |
| 9 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 92 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 85 |
| 11 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 79 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 79 |
| 13 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 78 |
| 14 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 78 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 75 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 74 |
| 17 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 73 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 70 |
| 19 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 69 |
| 20 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 68 |
Records by month
What to put out in Wigtown
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 Wigtown?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Wigtown are Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Starling and Barn Swallow, based on 4,020 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Wigtown?
152 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Wigtown?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.
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.