Birds of Kingussie
What has actually been seen around Kingussie: 156 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 156 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 17,779 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Chaffinch
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 235 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.9 h / 6.7 h
What the records say about Kingussie
156 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Kingussie (Highland) since 2010, across 17,779 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Chaffinch, Woodpigeon and Jackdaw.
Kingussie is a garden-bird place: 61% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier 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 December — about 7.3 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.
Newtonmore, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (119 against 156). Birds logged far more often around Kingussie than there include Eurasian Teal, Common Redshank, Whooper Swan and Eurasian Wigeon.
At about 235 m above sea level, Kingussie 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 55 min at midsummer to 6 h 42 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:20 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Kingussie
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 723 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 686 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 662 |
| 4 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 644 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 642 |
| 6 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 631 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 584 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 575 |
| 9 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 507 |
| 10 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 490 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 463 |
| 12 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 453 |
| 13 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 445 |
| 14 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 440 |
| 15 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 439 |
| 16 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 429 |
| 17 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 408 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 309 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 305 |
| 20 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 293 |
Records by month
What to put out in Kingussie
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 Kingussie?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Kingussie are Chaffinch, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Robin and Great Tit, based on 17,779 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Kingussie?
156 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Kingussie?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:20.
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.