Birds of Cumnock
What has actually been seen around Cumnock: 117 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 117 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,348 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 115 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Cumnock
117 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cumnock (East Ayrshire) since 2010, across 3,348 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Chaffinch.
Cumnock is a garden-bird place: 68% 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.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 April and are lowest in October — about 330.3 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.
Ochiltree, 6 km to the west, has fewer species on record (112 against 117). Birds logged far more often around Cumnock than there include Lesser Black-backed Gull, Canada Goose, Eurasian Skylark and Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 17 h 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 4 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:33 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cumnock
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 195 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 190 |
| 3 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 160 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 140 |
| 5 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 125 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 121 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 113 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 106 |
| 9 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 104 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 102 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 92 |
| 12 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 78 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 75 |
| 14 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 70 |
| 15 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 67 |
| 16 | MagpiePica pica | 64 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 63 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 59 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 55 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 54 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cumnock
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for East Ayrshire
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 Cumnock?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cumnock are Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 3,348 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cumnock?
117 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cumnock?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. 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.