Moray · 57.66°N

Birds of Portgordon

What has actually been seen around Portgordon: 167 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 167 within 5 km
Observation records: 8,783 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 6 m
Daylight, June / December: 18.1 h / 6.5 h

What the records say about Portgordon

167 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Portgordon (Moray) since 2010, across 8,783 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Common Merganser.

Water shapes this list. 59% of records near Portgordon are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull and Common Merganser 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.

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 8.8 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.

Buckie, 3 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (109 against 167). Birds logged far more often around Portgordon than there include Mute Swan, Common Tern, Common Sandpiper and Common Goldeneye.

Daylight runs from 18 h 5 min at midsummer to 6 h 33 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:10 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Portgordon

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	332
2	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	283
3	Common MerganserMergus merganser	261
4	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	244
5	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	238
6	Common GullLarus canus	219
7	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	206
8	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	205
9	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	200
10	Gray HeronArdea cinerea	194
11	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	184
12	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	182
13	JackdawColoeus monedula	174
14	Mute SwanCygnus olor	164
15	YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella	157
16	Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata	153
17	OspreyPandion haliaetus	147
18	Barn SwallowHirundo rustica	145
19	Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator	134
20	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	130

Records by month

What to put out in Portgordon

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Starling
Suet · Mealworms
Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

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 Portgordon?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Portgordon are Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Yellowhammer, based on 8,783 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Portgordon?

167 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Portgordon?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:10.

Sources

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.