Birds of West Kilbride
What has actually been seen around West Kilbride: 152 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 152 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,759 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 51 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7 h
What the records say about West Kilbride
152 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of West Kilbride (North Ayrshire) since 2010, across 4,759 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Blackbird and Woodpigeon.
Water shapes this list. 45% of records near West Kilbride are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Eurasian Curlew lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Jackdaw is still the most logged garden bird.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in June and are lowest in April — about 9.5 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.
Fairlie, 7 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (155 against 152).
Daylight runs from 17 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 1 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 West Kilbride
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 293 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 281 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 273 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 254 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 186 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 184 |
| 7 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 160 |
| 8 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 110 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 108 |
| 10 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 104 |
| 11 | Common GullLarus canus | 94 |
| 12 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 91 |
| 13 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 87 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 86 |
| 15 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 83 |
| 16 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 81 |
| 17 | Common ShelduckTadorna tadorna | 79 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 79 |
| 19 | European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis | 78 |
| 20 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 74 |
Records by month
What to put out in West Kilbride
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 West Kilbride?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of West Kilbride are Jackdaw, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Magpie, based on 4,759 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near West Kilbride?
152 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in West Kilbride?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in April. 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.