Birds of Motherwell
What has actually been seen around Motherwell: 145 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 145 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 16,672 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 83 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Motherwell
145 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Motherwell (North Lanarkshire) since 2010, across 16,672 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Carrion Crow and Mallard.
Water shapes this list. 42% of records near Motherwell are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Mallard, Mute Swan and Lesser Black-backed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Magpie is still the most logged garden bird.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in April and are lowest in December — about 3.5 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.
Bellshill, 3 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (126 against 145). Birds logged far more often around Motherwell than there include Eurasian Teal, Northern Lapwing, Gadwall and Eurasian Wigeon.
Daylight runs from 17 h 34 min at midsummer to 6 h 60 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Motherwell
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 629 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 596 |
| 3 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 576 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 575 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 472 |
| 6 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 460 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 455 |
| 8 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 442 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 432 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 426 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 424 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 368 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 360 |
| 14 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 356 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 351 |
| 16 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 331 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 317 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 307 |
| 19 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 288 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 285 |
Records by month
What to put out in Motherwell
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for North Lanarkshire
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 Motherwell?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Motherwell are Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Robin, based on 16,672 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Motherwell?
145 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Motherwell?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.