Birds of Forres
What has actually been seen around Forres: 176 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 176 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,763 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 11 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 18.1 h / 6.6 h
What the records say about Forres
176 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Forres (Moray) since 2010, across 8,763 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull and Eurasian Curlew.
Water shapes this list. 53% of records near Forres are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull and Eurasian Curlew lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey, Common Buzzard 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 October and are lowest in July — about 2.8 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.
Kinloss, 4 km to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (178 against 176). Birds logged far more often around Forres than there include Western Capercaillie.
Daylight runs from 18 h 4 min at midsummer to 6 h 34 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:13 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Forres
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 332 |
| 2 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 326 |
| 3 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 299 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 298 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 251 |
| 6 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 241 |
| 7 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 237 |
| 8 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 217 |
| 9 | Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus | 215 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 211 |
| 11 | Common GullLarus canus | 203 |
| 12 | Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope | 163 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 154 |
| 14 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 150 |
| 15 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 148 |
| 16 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 147 |
| 17 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 146 |
| 18 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 133 |
| 19 | DunlinCalidris alpina | 130 |
| 20 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 125 |
Records by month
What to put out in Forres
Seasonal bird notes for Moray
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 Forres?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Forres are Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Hooded Crow, based on 8,763 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Forres?
176 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Forres?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:13.
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.