Birds of Gifford
What has actually been seen around Gifford: 105 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 105 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,675 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 115 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Gifford
105 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Gifford (East Lothian) since 2010, across 1,675 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Robin.
Gifford is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Robin and Wren make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 October and are lowest in August — about 44.0 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.
Haddington, 6 km to the north, has more species on record (120 against 105). Birds logged far more often around Gifford than there include Graylag Goose, Rock Pigeon and Meadow Pipit.
Daylight runs from 17 h 36 min at midsummer to 6 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:24 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Gifford
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 75 |
| 2 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 70 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 58 |
| 4 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 56 |
| 5 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 55 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 49 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 48 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 43 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 42 |
| 10 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 40 |
| 11 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 40 |
| 12 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 40 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 39 |
| 14 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 37 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 36 |
| 16 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 33 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 32 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 31 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 30 |
| 20 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 29 |
Records by month
What to put out in Gifford
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 Gifford?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Gifford are Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Robin, Wren and Blue Tit, based on 1,675 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Gifford?
105 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Gifford?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:24.
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.