Birds of Barrhead
What has actually been seen around Barrhead: 122 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 122 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 5,028 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 58 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Barrhead
122 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Barrhead (East Renfrewshire) since 2010, across 5,028 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
Barrhead is a garden-bird place: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
6 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 April and are lowest in September — about 4.5 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.
Hawkhead, 4 km to the north, has fewer species on record (109 against 122). Birds logged far more often around Barrhead than there include Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Great Crested Grebe and Eurasian Coot.
Daylight runs from 17 h 34 min at midsummer to 6 h 60 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Barrhead
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 241 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 237 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 231 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 196 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 189 |
| 6 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 185 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 160 |
| 8 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 150 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 147 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 144 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 131 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 130 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 125 |
| 14 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 116 |
| 15 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 116 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 111 |
| 17 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 110 |
| 18 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 105 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 92 |
| 20 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 87 |
Records by month
What to put out in Barrhead
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for East Renfrewshire
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 Barrhead?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Barrhead are Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Blackbird, based on 5,028 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Barrhead?
122 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Barrhead?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.