Birds of Wishaw
What has actually been seen around Wishaw: 138 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 138 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 11,942 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 138 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Wishaw
138 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Wishaw (North Lanarkshire) since 2010, across 11,942 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
The records split between garden birds (57%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in Wishaw sees the familiar Magpie, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 4.1 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.
Newmains, 3 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (86 against 138). Birds logged far more often around Wishaw than there include Eurasian Teal, Northern Lapwing, Gadwall and Bank Swallow.
Daylight runs from 17 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 0 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Wishaw
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 389 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 370 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 368 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 363 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 335 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 322 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 321 |
| 8 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 302 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 294 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 293 |
| 11 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 278 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 261 |
| 13 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 255 |
| 14 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 250 |
| 15 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 246 |
| 16 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 243 |
| 17 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 235 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 216 |
| 19 | Eurasian TealAnas crecca | 204 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 195 |
Records by month
What to put out in Wishaw
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 Wishaw?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Wishaw are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Blue Tit, based on 11,942 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Wishaw?
138 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Wishaw?
Observation records peak in May 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.