North Ayrshire · 55.64°N

Birds of Saltcoats

What has actually been seen around Saltcoats: 153 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 153 within 5 km
Observation records: 7,994 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: January
Elevation: 10 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.5 h / 7 h

What the records say about Saltcoats

153 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Saltcoats (North Ayrshire) since 2010, across 7,994 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher.

Water shapes this list. 64% of records near Saltcoats are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.

6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including .

Records peak in January and are lowest in June — about 5.1 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 east, has more species on record (185 against 153). Birds logged far more often around Saltcoats than there include Northern Gannet, Black Guillemot, Eurasian Rock Pipit and Ruddy Turnstone.

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 Saltcoats

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	468
2	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	329
3	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	304
4	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	287
5	Common GullLarus canus	257
6	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	250
7	JackdawColoeus monedula	240
8	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	236
9	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	228
10	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	204
11	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	202
12	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	199
13	MagpiePica pica	180
14	Mute SwanCygnus olor	172
15	Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata	170
16	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	167
17	Rock PigeonColumba livia	165
18	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	138
19	Common RedshankTringa totanus	135
20	Northern GannetMorus bassanus	133

Records by month

What to put out in Saltcoats

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

Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
Starling
Suet · Mealworms
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms

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 Saltcoats?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Saltcoats are Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, Magpie and Pied Wagtail, based on 7,994 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Saltcoats?

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

When is the best month for birds in Saltcoats?

Observation records peak in January and are lowest in June. Sunrise in late June is around 4:34.

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.