Birds of Tain
What has actually been seen around Tain: 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
- 4,687 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 29 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 18.1 h / 6.5 h
What the records say about Tain
155 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Tain (Highland) since 2010, across 4,687 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Mallard and Western Capercaillie.
Water shapes this list. 49% of records near Tain are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Mallard and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey, Red Kite and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in September and are lowest in December — about 4.6 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.
Dornoch, 8 km to the north, has more species on record (160 against 155). Birds logged far more often around Tain than there include Western Capercaillie, Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon and Common Moorhen.
Daylight runs from 18 h 8 min at midsummer to 6 h 31 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:13 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Tain
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 167 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 154 |
| 3 | Western CapercaillieTetrao urogallus | 152 |
| 4 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 151 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 130 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 128 |
| 7 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 121 |
| 8 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 119 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 115 |
| 10 | Common GullLarus canus | 115 |
| 11 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 113 |
| 12 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 112 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 111 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 109 |
| 15 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 108 |
| 16 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 103 |
| 17 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 98 |
| 18 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 92 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 88 |
| 20 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 86 |
Records by month
What to put out in Tain
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 Tain?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Tain are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Robin, Chaffinch and Blackbird, based on 4,687 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Tain?
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 Tain?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:13.
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.