Birds of Bonnyrigg
What has actually been seen around Bonnyrigg: 150 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 150 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 72,501 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 103 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Bonnyrigg
150 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Bonnyrigg (Midlothian) since 2010, across 72,501 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Magpie.
Bonnyrigg is a garden-bird place: 83% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Magpie and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 April and are lowest in September — about 1.6 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.
Rosewell, 3 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (131 against 150).
Daylight runs from 17 h 36 min at midsummer to 6 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:25 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Bonnyrigg
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,042 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,912 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 2,910 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 2,908 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,848 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,511 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 2,501 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 2,438 |
| 9 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 2,434 |
| 10 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 2,383 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 2,359 |
| 12 | BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula | 2,314 |
| 13 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,302 |
| 14 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 2,136 |
| 15 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,984 |
| 16 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,925 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,826 |
| 18 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 1,695 |
| 19 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 1,521 |
| 20 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 1,478 |
Records by month
What to put out in Bonnyrigg
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Midlothian
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 Bonnyrigg?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Bonnyrigg are Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Magpie, Robin and Blackbird, based on 72,501 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Bonnyrigg?
150 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Bonnyrigg?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:25.
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.