Birds of Carnlough
What has actually been seen around Carnlough: 118 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 118 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,105 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 3 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.4 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Carnlough
118 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Carnlough (Mid and East Antrim) since 2010, across 2,105 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, Pied Wagtail and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 41% of records near Carnlough are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Pied Wagtail is still the most logged garden bird.
Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 15.6 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.
Glenariff, 8 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (88 against 118). Birds logged far more often around Carnlough than there include Jay, Common Redshank and Ruddy Turnstone.
Daylight runs from 17 h 23 min at midsummer to 7 h 10 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:22 in mid-April and 4:44 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Carnlough
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 93 |
| 2 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 92 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 84 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 80 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 67 |
| 6 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 61 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 59 |
| 8 | Black GuillemotCepphus grylle | 56 |
| 9 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 54 |
| 10 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 52 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 49 |
| 12 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 46 |
| 13 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 46 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 46 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 44 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 44 |
| 17 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 43 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 42 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 40 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 40 |
Records by month
What to put out in Carnlough
Seasonal bird notes for Mid and East Antrim
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 Carnlough?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Carnlough are Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Barn Swallow, Robin and Starling, based on 2,105 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Carnlough?
118 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Carnlough?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:44.
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.