Shetland Islands · 60.15°N

Birds of Lerwick

What has actually been seen around Lerwick: 217 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 217 within 5 km
Observation records: 20,254 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: October
Elevation: -9999 m
Daylight, June / December: 18.9 h / 5.8 h

What the records say about Lerwick

217 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Lerwick (Shetland Islands) since 2010, across 20,254 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Starling and Hooded Crow.

Water shapes this list. 57% of records near Lerwick are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Black Guillemot and European Shag lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Starling is still the most logged garden bird.

11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including .

Records peak in October and are lowest in December — about 17.8 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.

Scalloway, 8 km to the west, has fewer species on record (197 against 217). Birds logged far more often around Lerwick than there include Northern Fulmar, Northern Gannet, Purple Sandpiper and Red Knot.

Daylight runs from 18 h 56 min at midsummer to 5 h 50 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 5:50 in mid-April and 3:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Lerwick

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	1,168
2	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	952
3	Hooded CrowCorvus cornix	851
4	Black GuillemotCepphus grylle	786
5	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	693
6	House SparrowPasser domesticus	675
7	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	668
8	Rock PigeonColumba livia	624
9	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	601
10	BlackbirdTurdus merula	576
11	Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis	489
12	Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres	477
13	Northern GannetMorus bassanus	456
14	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	443
15	Common RedshankTringa totanus	391
16	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	363
17	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	359
18	Common GullLarus canus	355
19	Common RavenCorvus corax	345
20	Black-legged KittiwakeRissa tridactyla	338

Records by month

What to put out in Lerwick

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Starling
Suet · Mealworms
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Wren
Mealworms · Suet pellets
Collared Dove
Seed mix
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts

Seasonal bird notes for Shetland Islands

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 Lerwick?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Lerwick are Starling, Hooded Crow, House Sparrow, Rock Pigeon and Blackbird, based on 20,254 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Lerwick?

217 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Lerwick?

Observation records peak in October and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 3:37.

Sources

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.