Birds of Thornton
What has actually been seen around Thornton: 121 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 121 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,555 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 56 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.7 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Thornton
121 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thornton (Fife) since 2010, across 3,555 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon and Blackbird.
Thornton is a garden-bird place: 72% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 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 October — about 5.1 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.
Glenrothes, 4 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (111 against 121). Birds logged far more often around Thornton than there include Common Eider.
Daylight runs from 17 h 40 min at midsummer to 6 h 55 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:23 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Thornton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 183 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 164 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 151 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 138 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 135 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 120 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 97 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 95 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 90 |
| 10 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 87 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 86 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 83 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 76 |
| 14 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 75 |
| 15 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 75 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 63 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 63 |
| 18 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 62 |
| 19 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 61 |
| 20 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 60 |
Records by month
What to put out in Thornton
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 Thornton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thornton are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Robin, based on 3,555 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Thornton?
121 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Thornton?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:23.
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.