Highland · 57.33°N

Birds of Drumnadrochit

What has actually been seen around Drumnadrochit: 108 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 108 within 5 km
Observation records: 4,301 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Robin
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 32 m
Daylight, June / December: 18 h / 6.6 h

What the records say about Drumnadrochit

108 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Drumnadrochit (Highland) since 2010, across 4,301 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Chaffinch and House Martin.

Drumnadrochit is a garden-bird place: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Chaffinch, House Martin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, Common Buzzard 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 May and are lowest in March — about 15.1 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.

Beauly, 17 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (112 against 108). Birds logged far more often around Drumnadrochit than there include Grey Wagtail and Common Raven.

Daylight runs from 17 h 59 min at midsummer to 6 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:19 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Drumnadrochit

#	Bird	Records
1	RobinErithacus rubecula	296
2	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	254
3	House MartinDelichon urbicum	214
4	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	202
5	BlackbirdTurdus merula	199
6	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	173
7	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	149
8	Hooded CrowCorvus cornix	142
9	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	139
10	RookCorvus frugilegus	131
11	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	128
12	House SparrowPasser domesticus	116
13	Great TitParus major	116
14	Song ThrushTurdus philomelos	107
15	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	103
16	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	98
17	GreenfinchChloris chloris	82
18	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	78
19	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	77
20	JackdawColoeus monedula	77

Records by month

What to put out in Drumnadrochit

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

Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Chaffinch
Sunflower hearts · Seed mix
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

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 Drumnadrochit?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Drumnadrochit are Robin, Chaffinch, House Martin, Blackbird and Barn Swallow, based on 4,301 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Drumnadrochit?

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

When is the best month for birds in Drumnadrochit?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 4:19.

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.