Birds of Whitehead
What has actually been seen around Whitehead: 123 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 123 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,863 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Black-headed Gull
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 12 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Whitehead
123 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Whitehead (Mid and East Antrim) since 2010, across 2,863 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Pied Wagtail.
Water shapes this list. 52% of records near Whitehead are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Black-headed Gull, European Herring Gull and Common Redshank lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Pied Wagtail is still the most logged garden bird.
5 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in January and are lowest in July — about 7.8 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.
Carrickfergus, 8 km to the south-west, has more species on record (135 against 123). Birds logged far more often around Whitehead than there include Little Egret, Common Shelduck, Twite and Meadow Pipit.
Daylight runs from 17 h 19 min at midsummer to 7 h 13 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 Whitehead
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 120 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 111 |
| 3 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 111 |
| 4 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 104 |
| 5 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 98 |
| 6 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 90 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 88 |
| 8 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 81 |
| 9 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 81 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 70 |
| 11 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 68 |
| 12 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 66 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 64 |
| 14 | Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres | 63 |
| 15 | DunlinCalidris alpina | 60 |
| 16 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 60 |
| 17 | Little EgretEgretta garzetta | 55 |
| 18 | Common GullLarus canus | 50 |
| 19 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 49 |
| 20 | BrantBranta bernicla | 48 |
Records by month
What to put out in Whitehead
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 Whitehead?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Whitehead are Pied Wagtail, Hooded Crow, Robin, Eurasian Rock Pipit and Starling, based on 2,863 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Whitehead?
123 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Whitehead?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in July. 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.