Birds of Queensferry
What has actually been seen around Queensferry: 169 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 169 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 15,662 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 9 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Queensferry
169 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Queensferry (Edinburgh) since 2010, across 15,662 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, European Herring Gull and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 41% of records near Queensferry are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 2.8 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.
Kirkliston, 4 km to the south, has fewer species on record (152 against 169). Birds logged far more often around Queensferry than there include Sandwich Tern, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone and Red-breasted Merganser.
Daylight runs from 17 h 37 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Queensferry
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 678 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 648 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 633 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 506 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 498 |
| 6 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 490 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 482 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 455 |
| 9 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 421 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 418 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 391 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 383 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 320 |
| 14 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 318 |
| 15 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 314 |
| 16 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 313 |
| 17 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 306 |
| 18 | Great TitParus major | 293 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 271 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 247 |
Records by month
What to put out in Queensferry
Seasonal bird notes for Edinburgh
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 Queensferry?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Queensferry are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 15,662 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Queensferry?
169 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Queensferry?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:26.
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.