Birds of Cardenden
What has actually been seen around Cardenden: 127 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 127 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,741 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mute Swan
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 71 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.7 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Cardenden
127 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cardenden (Fife) since 2010, across 7,741 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mute Swan, Tufted Duck and Mallard.
Water shapes this list. 67% of records near Cardenden are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mute Swan, Tufted Duck and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in March and are lowest in July — about 5.3 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.
Kinglassie, 4 km to the north, has fewer species on record (106 against 127). Birds logged far more often around Cardenden than there include Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Mallard and Eurasian Coot.
Daylight runs from 17 h 40 min at midsummer to 6 h 55 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:24 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cardenden
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 719 |
| 2 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 631 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 531 |
| 4 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 314 |
| 5 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 311 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 265 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 247 |
| 8 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 246 |
| 9 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 209 |
| 10 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 192 |
| 11 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 182 |
| 12 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis | 163 |
| 13 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 159 |
| 14 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 152 |
| 15 | Common GullLarus canus | 142 |
| 16 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 135 |
| 17 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 128 |
| 18 | MagpiePica pica | 117 |
| 19 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 116 |
| 20 | Common MerganserMergus merganser | 114 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cardenden
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Fife
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 Cardenden?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cardenden are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Robin and Magpie, based on 7,741 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cardenden?
127 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cardenden?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in July. 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.