Birds of Aberlady
What has actually been seen around Aberlady: 220 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 220 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 43,627 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Aberlady
220 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Aberlady (East Lothian) since 2010, across 43,627 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 56% of records near Aberlady are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including .
Records peak in January and are lowest in July — about 1.9 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.
Gullane, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (211 against 220).
Daylight runs from 17 h 38 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:23 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Aberlady
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,606 |
| 2 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 1,417 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,346 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,335 |
| 5 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,280 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,162 |
| 7 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,010 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 985 |
| 9 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 973 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 962 |
| 11 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 862 |
| 12 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 750 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 731 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 722 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 708 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 703 |
| 17 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 678 |
| 18 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 647 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 639 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 632 |
Records by month
What to put out in Aberlady
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for East Lothian
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 Aberlady?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Aberlady are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and Robin, based on 43,627 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Aberlady?
220 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Aberlady?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:23.
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.