Birds of Scalloway
What has actually been seen around Scalloway: 197 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 197 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 9,398 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Starling
- Busiest month
- October
- Elevation
- 62 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 18.9 h / 5.8 h
What the records say about Scalloway
197 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Scalloway (Shetland Islands) since 2010, across 9,398 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Starling, Hooded Crow and European Herring Gull.
Water shapes this list. 47% of records near Scalloway are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Eurasian Curlew and Graylag Goose lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Starling is still the most logged garden bird.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including 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 October and are lowest in April — about 80.4 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.
Lerwick, 8 km to the east, has more species on record (217 against 197). Birds logged far more often around Scalloway than there include European Stonechat and King Eider.
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 3:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Scalloway
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 462 |
| 2 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 388 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 353 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 334 |
| 5 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 320 |
| 6 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 297 |
| 7 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 285 |
| 8 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 263 |
| 9 | Common GullLarus canus | 232 |
| 10 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 220 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 220 |
| 12 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 218 |
| 13 | Common RedshankTringa totanus | 206 |
| 14 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 199 |
| 15 | Common EiderSomateria mollissima | 183 |
| 16 | RedwingTurdus iliacus | 176 |
| 17 | Black GuillemotCepphus grylle | 166 |
| 18 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 162 |
| 19 | Yellow-browed WarblerPhylloscopus inornatus | 159 |
| 20 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 159 |
Records by month
What to put out in Scalloway
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 Scalloway?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Scalloway are Starling, Hooded Crow, Blackbird, House Sparrow and Meadow Pipit, based on 9,398 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Scalloway?
197 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Scalloway?
Observation records peak in October and are lowest in April. Sunrise in late June is around 3:38.
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.