Birds of Leuchars
What has actually been seen around Leuchars: 207 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 207 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 36,391 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Eurasian Curlew
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 18 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.7 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Leuchars
207 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Leuchars (Fife) since 2010, across 36,391 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Carrion Crow.
Water shapes this list. 58% of records near Leuchars are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Common Redshank lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 September and are lowest in December — about 2.2 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.
Strathkinness, 5 km to the south, has a similar number of species on record (211 against 207).
Daylight runs from 17 h 43 min at midsummer to 6 h 52 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:21 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Leuchars
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 1,156 |
| 2 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 1,137 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,047 |
| 4 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 1,038 |
| 5 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,021 |
| 6 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 981 |
| 7 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 863 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 856 |
| 9 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 802 |
| 10 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 789 |
| 11 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 776 |
| 12 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 765 |
| 13 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 749 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 749 |
| 15 | DunlinCalidris alpina | 703 |
| 16 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 676 |
| 17 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 623 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 563 |
| 19 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 554 |
| 20 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 545 |
Records by month
What to put out in Leuchars
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 Leuchars?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Leuchars are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie, based on 36,391 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Leuchars?
207 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Leuchars?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:21.
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.