Highland · 57.68°N

Birds of Cromarty

What has actually been seen around Cromarty: 144 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 144 within 5 km
Observation records: 4,576 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: June
Elevation: 10 m
Daylight, June / December: 18.1 h / 6.5 h

What the records say about Cromarty

144 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cromarty (Highland) since 2010, across 4,576 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Common Eider and Great Black-backed Gull.

Water shapes this list. 53% of records near Cromarty are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Common Eider and Great Black-backed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Jackdaw is still the most logged garden bird.

10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Red Kite.

Records peak in June and are lowest in January — about 9.4 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.

Invergordon, 8 km to the west, has more species on record (174 against 144). Birds logged far more often around Cromarty than there include European Shag, Common Murre, Razorbill and Black-legged Kittiwake.

Daylight runs from 18 h 5 min at midsummer to 6 h 33 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:14 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Cromarty

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	241
2	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	194
3	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	159
4	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	149
5	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	145
6	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	133
7	Common MurreUria aalge	132
8	JackdawColoeus monedula	106
9	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	102
10	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	102
11	Common GullLarus canus	99
12	House SparrowPasser domesticus	97
13	RazorbillAlca torda	88
14	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	82
15	Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla	80
16	YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella	80
17	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	80
18	Black GuillemotCepphus grylle	79
19	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	74
20	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	74

Records by month

What to put out in Cromarty

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Chaffinch
Sunflower hearts · Seed mix
Wren
Mealworms · Suet pellets

Seasonal bird notes for Highland

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 Cromarty?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cromarty are Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow and Woodpigeon, based on 4,576 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Cromarty?

144 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Cromarty?

Observation records peak in June and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:14.

Sources

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.