South Ayrshire · 55.24°N

Birds of Girvan

What has actually been seen around Girvan: 96 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 96 within 5 km
Observation records: 1,301 since 2010
Most recorded bird: European Herring Gull
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 12 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.4 h / 7.1 h

What the records say about Girvan

96 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Girvan (South Ayrshire) since 2010, across 1,301 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Starling.

Water shapes this list. 59% of records near Girvan are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Starling is still the most logged garden bird.

Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 13.6 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.

Dailly, 9 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (62 against 96). Birds logged far more often around Girvan than there include European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Daylight runs from 17 h 26 min at midsummer to 7 h 7 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:37 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Girvan

#	Bird	Records
1	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	88
2	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	69
3	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	50
4	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	48
5	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	44
6	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	43
7	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	42
8	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	41
9	JackdawColoeus monedula	38
10	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	36
11	Mute SwanCygnus olor	35
12	House SparrowPasser domesticus	34
13	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	33
14	European ShagPhalacrocorax aristotelis	32
15	Northern GannetMorus bassanus	31
16	Common GullLarus canus	31
17	RookCorvus frugilegus	30
18	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	30
19	Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata	28
20	Black GuillemotCepphus grylle	27

Records by month

What to put out in Girvan

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

Starling
Suet · Mealworms
Pied Wagtail
Mealworms
Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Woodpigeon
Seed mix

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 Girvan?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Girvan are Starling, Pied Wagtail, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and House Sparrow, based on 1,301 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Girvan?

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

When is the best month for birds in Girvan?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:37.

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.