Birds of Renfrew
What has actually been seen around Renfrew: 120 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 120 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,815 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 7 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Renfrew
120 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Renfrew (Renfrewshire) since 2010, across 6,815 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon and Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Renfrew 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. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Rock Pigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including 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 January and are lowest in November — about 3.4 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.
Clydebank, 3 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (116 against 120). Birds logged far more often around Renfrew than there include Ring-necked Duck.
Daylight runs from 17 h 35 min at midsummer to 6 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Renfrew
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 489 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 441 |
| 3 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 327 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 327 |
| 5 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 323 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 314 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 312 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 274 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 254 |
| 10 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 241 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 240 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 219 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 208 |
| 14 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 185 |
| 15 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 180 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 135 |
| 17 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 130 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 127 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 127 |
| 20 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 120 |
Records by month
What to put out in Renfrew
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
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 Renfrew?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Renfrew are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Rock Pigeon and Blackbird, based on 6,815 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Renfrew?
120 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Renfrew?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in November. 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.