Birds of Westhill
What has actually been seen around Westhill: 185 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 185 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 37,983 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 92 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 18 h / 6.6 h
What the records say about Westhill
185 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Westhill (Highland) since 2010, across 37,983 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon.
The records split between garden birds (58%) and waterbirds (38%), so a feeder in Westhill sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Blackbird, while European Herring Gull and others turn up on nearby water.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Red Kite.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 4.0 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.
Inverness, 5 km to the west, has fewer species on record (178 against 185). Birds logged far more often around Westhill than there include Eurasian Skylark, Northern Lapwing, Meadow Pipit and Graylag Goose.
Daylight runs from 18 h 2 min at midsummer to 6 h 36 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:17 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Westhill
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,575 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,521 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,477 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,116 |
| 5 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,001 |
| 6 | Common GullLarus canus | 978 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 956 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 925 |
| 9 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 907 |
| 10 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 902 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 895 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 865 |
| 13 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 860 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 840 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 755 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 739 |
| 17 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 735 |
| 18 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 706 |
| 19 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 664 |
| 20 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 635 |
Records by month
What to put out in Westhill
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 Westhill?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Westhill are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Chaffinch and Jackdaw, based on 37,983 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Westhill?
185 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Westhill?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:17.
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.