Birds of Glasgow
What has actually been seen around Glasgow: 158 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 158 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 54,904 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 40 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Glasgow
158 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Glasgow (Glasgow City) since 2010, across 54,904 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Rock Pigeon and Woodpigeon.
Glasgow is a garden-bird place: 69% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Rock Pigeon, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard. 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 May and are lowest in August — about 2.5 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.
Rutherglen, 5 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (146 against 158). Birds logged far more often around Glasgow than there include Peregrine Falcon and Ring-necked Duck.
Daylight runs from 17 h 35 min at midsummer to 6 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Glasgow
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 3,936 |
| 2 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 3,339 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,202 |
| 4 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 2,968 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,887 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,299 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,296 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 2,226 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,192 |
| 10 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,722 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,666 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 1,548 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,495 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,449 |
| 15 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,440 |
| 16 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,266 |
| 17 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,105 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,036 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 942 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 912 |
Records by month
What to put out in Glasgow
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Glasgow City
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 Glasgow?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Glasgow are Magpie, Rock Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin, based on 54,904 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Glasgow?
158 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Glasgow?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in August. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.