Birds of Saint Andrews
What has actually been seen around Saint Andrews: 200 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 200 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 61,875 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 22 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.7 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Saint Andrews
200 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Saint Andrews (Fife) since 2010, across 61,875 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Saint Andrews sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Robin, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in July and are lowest in September — about 1.9 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.
Strathkinness, 5 km to the west, has more species on record (211 against 200).
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 Saint Andrews
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 3,722 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 3,048 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,989 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,924 |
| 5 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 1,885 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,739 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,534 |
| 8 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 1,455 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,408 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,313 |
| 11 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 1,308 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,297 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,267 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 1,258 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,248 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,208 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,179 |
| 18 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,153 |
| 19 | MagpiePica pica | 1,151 |
| 20 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 1,117 |
Records by month
What to put out in Saint Andrews
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 Saint Andrews?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Saint Andrews are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Jackdaw, based on 61,875 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Saint Andrews?
200 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Saint Andrews?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in September. 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.