Birds of Fairlie
What has actually been seen around Fairlie: 155 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 155 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 9,363 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 6 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Fairlie
155 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Fairlie (North Ayrshire) since 2010, across 9,363 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Woodpigeon and Eurasian Oystercatcher.
Water shapes this list. 47% of records near Fairlie are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Mallard lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 3.6 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.
Isle of Cumbrae, 4 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (152 against 155).
Daylight runs from 17 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 0 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:16 in mid-April and 4:33 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Fairlie
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 422 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 394 |
| 3 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 356 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 354 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 337 |
| 6 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 305 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 304 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 269 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 236 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 216 |
| 11 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 210 |
| 12 | Common GullLarus canus | 210 |
| 13 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 200 |
| 14 | Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator | 191 |
| 15 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 189 |
| 16 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 185 |
| 17 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 169 |
| 18 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 169 |
| 19 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 160 |
| 20 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 156 |
Records by month
What to put out in Fairlie
Seasonal bird notes for North Ayrshire
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 Fairlie?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Fairlie are Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Robin, based on 9,363 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Fairlie?
155 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Fairlie?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:33.
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.