Birds of Dalgety Bay
What has actually been seen around Dalgety Bay: 176 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 176 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 14,877 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 13 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Dalgety Bay
176 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dalgety Bay (Fife) since 2010, across 14,877 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, European Herring Gull and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 47% of records near Dalgety Bay 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. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
10 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 August and are lowest in February — about 2.9 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.
Aberdour, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (161 against 176).
Daylight runs from 17 h 38 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:25 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Dalgety Bay
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 601 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 591 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 541 |
| 4 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 461 |
| 5 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 441 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 438 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 406 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 406 |
| 9 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 385 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 365 |
| 11 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 361 |
| 12 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 353 |
| 13 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 349 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 336 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 325 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 282 |
| 17 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 275 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 253 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 253 |
| 20 | Great TitParus major | 249 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dalgety Bay
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 Dalgety Bay?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dalgety Bay are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin, Blackbird and Magpie, based on 14,877 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dalgety Bay?
176 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dalgety Bay?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:25.
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.