Birds of Ayr
What has actually been seen around Ayr: 161 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 161 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 13,526 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 13 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Ayr
161 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Ayr (South Ayrshire) since 2010, across 13,526 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow.
Ayr is a garden-bird place: 63% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rock Pigeon and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including .
Records peak in September and are lowest in December — about 2.5 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.
Monkton, 6 km to the north-east, has more species on record (180 against 161). Birds logged far more often around Ayr than there include Mute Swan, Mallard, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Great Black-backed Gull.
Daylight runs from 17 h 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 4 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:16 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Ayr
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 946 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 826 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 764 |
| 4 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 648 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 630 |
| 6 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 630 |
| 7 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 555 |
| 8 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 498 |
| 9 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 410 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 397 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 390 |
| 12 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 375 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 353 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 311 |
| 15 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 306 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 293 |
| 17 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 240 |
| 18 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 210 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 202 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 195 |
Records by month
What to put out in Ayr
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Seasonal bird notes for South Ayrshire
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 Ayr?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Ayr are Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rock Pigeon, Woodpigeon and Starling, based on 13,526 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Ayr?
161 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Ayr?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.