Birds of Irvine
What has actually been seen around Irvine: 180 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 180 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 36,959 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- March
- Elevation
- 14 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7 h
What the records say about Irvine
180 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Irvine (North Ayrshire) since 2010, across 36,959 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Magpie.
Irvine is a garden-bird place: 64% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in March and are lowest in December — about 2.2 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.
Kilwinning, 5 km to the north-west, has more species on record (185 against 180).
Daylight runs from 17 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 2 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:16 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Irvine
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,947 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,873 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 1,494 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,360 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,260 |
| 6 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 1,103 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,095 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,007 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 966 |
| 10 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 948 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 894 |
| 12 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 874 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 800 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 785 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 717 |
| 16 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 697 |
| 17 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 691 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 676 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 609 |
| 20 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 594 |
Records by month
What to put out in Irvine
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 Irvine?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Irvine are Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon and Rook, based on 36,959 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Irvine?
180 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Irvine?
Observation records peak in March and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:34.
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.