Birds of Dunkeld
What has actually been seen around Dunkeld: 136 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 136 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 14,813 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Chaffinch
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 59 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.8 h / 6.8 h
What the records say about Dunkeld
136 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dunkeld (Perth and Kinross) since 2010, across 14,813 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Chaffinch, Mallard and Coal Tit.
Dunkeld 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. Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Robin and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
14 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey, Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders 2–3 metres from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 17.4 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.
Murthly, 8 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (98 against 136). Birds logged far more often around Dunkeld than there include Great Crested Grebe, Osprey, Canada Goose and Tufted Duck.
Daylight runs from 17 h 46 min at midsummer to 6 h 49 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:22 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Dunkeld
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 712 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 657 |
| 3 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 589 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 578 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 577 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 572 |
| 7 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 516 |
| 8 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 459 |
| 9 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 446 |
| 10 | Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus | 443 |
| 11 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 404 |
| 12 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 403 |
| 13 | OspreyPandion haliaetus | 381 |
| 14 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 369 |
| 15 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 352 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 323 |
| 17 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 284 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 268 |
| 19 | YellowhammerEmberiza citrinella | 266 |
| 20 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 259 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dunkeld
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Perth and Kinross
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 Dunkeld?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dunkeld are Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Robin, Blue Tit and Great Tit, based on 14,813 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dunkeld?
136 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dunkeld?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:22.
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.