Birds of Houston
What has actually been seen around Houston: 93 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 93 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 925 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Swift
- Busiest month
- July
- Elevation
- 41 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Houston
93 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Houston (Renfrewshire) since 2010, across 925 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Swift, Jackdaw and Woodpigeon.
Houston is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 July and are lowest in September — about 9.3 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.
Quarrier's Village, 4 km to the west, has a similar number of species on record (91 against 93).
Daylight runs from 17 h 35 min at midsummer to 6 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Houston
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SwiftApus apus | 49 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 46 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 40 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 38 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 38 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 37 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 36 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 30 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 29 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 29 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 28 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 24 |
| 13 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 24 |
| 14 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 20 |
| 15 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 20 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 20 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 18 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 17 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 17 |
| 20 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 16 |
Records by month
What to put out in Houston
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Renfrewshire
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 Houston?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Houston are Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie and Robin, based on 925 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Houston?
93 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Houston?
Observation records peak in July and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.