Birds of Moira
What has actually been seen around Moira: 90 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 90 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,202 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Buzzard
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 69 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Moira
90 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Moira (Lisburn and Castlereagh) since 2010, across 1,202 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Buzzard, Woodpigeon and Mallard.
The records split between garden birds (51%) and waterbirds (35%), so a feeder in Moira sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Magpie, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
9 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 May and are lowest in October — about 4.4 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.
Waringstown, 7 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (79 against 90). Birds logged far more often around Moira than there include Common Buzzard.
Daylight runs from 17 h 15 min at midsummer to 7 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:25 in mid-April and 4:48 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Moira
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 115 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 55 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 50 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 43 |
| 5 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 43 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 43 |
| 7 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 40 |
| 8 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 38 |
| 9 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 36 |
| 10 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 33 |
| 11 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 33 |
| 12 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 30 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 29 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 28 |
| 15 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 26 |
| 16 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis | 24 |
| 17 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 23 |
| 18 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 23 |
| 19 | GadwallMareca strepera | 23 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 23 |
Records by month
What to put out in Moira
Seasonal bird notes for Lisburn and Castlereagh
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 Moira?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Moira are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie, Rook and Robin, based on 1,202 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Moira?
90 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Moira?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:48.
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.