Birds of Grantown on Spey
What has actually been seen around Grantown on Spey: 155 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 155 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,135 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Chaffinch
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 223 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 18 h / 6.6 h
What the records say about Grantown on Spey
155 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Grantown on Spey (Highland) since 2010, across 16,135 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Chaffinch, Woodpigeon and Coal Tit.
Grantown on Spey is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Coal Tit and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 June and are lowest in December — about 5.8 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.
Nethy Bridge, 8 km to the south, has more species on record (167 against 155). Birds logged far more often around Grantown on Spey than there include Western Capercaillie, Grey Wagtail and Rock Pigeon.
At about 223 m above sea level, Grantown on Spey sits higher than most places in Highland. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 59 min at midsummer to 6 h 38 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:16 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Grantown on Spey
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 764 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 753 |
| 3 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 689 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 629 |
| 5 | Western CapercaillieTetrao urogallus | 570 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 562 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 517 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 508 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 438 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 431 |
| 11 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 419 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 409 |
| 13 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 345 |
| 14 | TreecreeperCerthia familiaris | 322 |
| 15 | GoldcrestRegulus regulus | 319 |
| 16 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 293 |
| 17 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 293 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 284 |
| 19 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 282 |
| 20 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 270 |
Records by month
What to put out in Grantown on Spey
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Grantown on Spey?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Grantown on Spey are Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Coal Tit, Robin and Great Tit, based on 16,135 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Grantown on Spey?
155 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Grantown on Spey?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:16.
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.