Birds of Shieldhill
What has actually been seen around Shieldhill: 102 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 102 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 12,156 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 166 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Shieldhill
102 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shieldhill (Falkirk) since 2010, across 12,156 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird.
Shieldhill is a garden-bird place: 85% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 December and are lowest in May — about 7.1 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.
Brightons, 3 km to the east, has more species on record (147 against 102).
Daylight runs from 17 h 37 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shieldhill
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,160 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 966 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 908 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 827 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 727 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 683 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 495 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 492 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 464 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 425 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 401 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 357 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 339 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 334 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 252 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 243 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 209 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 188 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 176 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 175 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shieldhill
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
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 Shieldhill?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shieldhill are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 12,156 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shieldhill?
102 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shieldhill?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in May. Sunrise in late June is around 4:27.
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.