Birds of Fort William
What has actually been seen around Fort William: 140 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 140 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,913 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Hooded Crow
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 24 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.8 h / 6.8 h
What the records say about Fort William
140 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Fort William (Highland) since 2010, across 7,913 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Hooded Crow, Common Gull and Pied Wagtail.
Fort William is a garden-bird place: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Hooded Crow, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 21.8 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.
Spean Bridge, 14 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (93 against 140). Birds logged far more often around Fort William than there include European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Great Black-backed Gull and Great Cormorant.
Daylight runs from 17 h 51 min at midsummer to 6 h 46 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Fort William
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 436 |
| 2 | Common GullLarus canus | 389 |
| 3 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 370 |
| 4 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 365 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 355 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 342 |
| 7 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 331 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 274 |
| 9 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 251 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 224 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 204 |
| 12 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 157 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 155 |
| 14 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 140 |
| 15 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 134 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 132 |
| 17 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 131 |
| 18 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 128 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 123 |
| 20 | Great TitParus major | 122 |
Records by month
What to put out in Fort William
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Chaffinch
Sunflower hearts · Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
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 Fort William?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Fort William are Hooded Crow, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow, Robin and Chaffinch, based on 7,913 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Fort William?
140 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Fort William?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:26.
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.