Birds of Bo’ness
What has actually been seen around Bo’ness: 171 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 171 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,115 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 3 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Bo’ness
171 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bo’ness (Falkirk) since 2010, across 16,115 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Mallard and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Bo’ness are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, Mallard and European Herring Gull 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 January and are lowest in May — about 2.5 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.
Linlithgow, 5 km to the south, has fewer species on record (157 against 171). Birds logged far more often around Bo’ness than there include Common Greenshank, Greater Scaup and Sandwich Tern.
Daylight runs from 17 h 38 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bo’ness
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 593 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 565 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 549 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 542 |
| 5 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 525 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 500 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 432 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 422 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 387 |
| 10 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 376 |
| 11 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 374 |
| 12 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 363 |
| 13 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 352 |
| 14 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 339 |
| 15 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 332 |
| 16 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 325 |
| 17 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 323 |
| 18 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 320 |
| 19 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 309 |
| 20 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 288 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bo’ness
Seasonal bird notes for Falkirk
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 Bo’ness?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bo’ness are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin and Jackdaw, based on 16,115 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bo’ness?
171 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bo’ness?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in May. 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.