Birds of Penicuik
What has actually been seen around Penicuik: 157 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 157 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 27,579 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 187 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Penicuik
157 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Penicuik (Midlothian) since 2010, across 27,579 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Magpie.
Penicuik is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 September — about 1.8 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.
Rosewell, 6 km to the east, has fewer species on record (131 against 157). Birds logged far more often around Penicuik than there include Graylag Goose, Tawny Owl, Common Raven and Common Shelduck.
Daylight runs from 17 h 35 min at midsummer to 6 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Penicuik
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,361 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,113 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 1,059 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,010 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,007 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 880 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 861 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 816 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 736 |
| 10 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 676 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 632 |
| 12 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 622 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 620 |
| 14 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 579 |
| 15 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 531 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 530 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 496 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 475 |
| 19 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 473 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 470 |
Records by month
What to put out in Penicuik
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 Penicuik?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Penicuik are Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw and Robin, based on 27,579 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Penicuik?
157 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Penicuik?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:26.
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.