South Ayrshire · 55.33°N

Birds of Maidens

What has actually been seen around Maidens: 142 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 142 within 5 km
Observation records: 4,224 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Eurasian Oystercatcher
Busiest month: January
Elevation: 8 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.5 h / 7.1 h

What the records say about Maidens

142 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Maidens (South Ayrshire) since 2010, across 4,224 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull.

Water shapes this list. 53% of records near Maidens are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Carrion Crow is still the most logged garden bird.

6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.

Records peak in January and are lowest in November — about 4.5 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.

Dailly, 9 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (62 against 142). Birds logged far more often around Maidens than there include Black-headed Gull, Great Cormorant, Mute Swan and Eurasian Curlew.

Daylight runs from 17 h 27 min at midsummer to 7 h 6 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:17 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Maidens

#	Bird	Records
1	Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus	198
2	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	179
3	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	139
4	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	133
5	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	116
6	Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo	112
7	Mute SwanCygnus olor	112
8	Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata	106
9	Common RedshankTringa totanus	94
10	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	94
11	Common GullLarus canus	87
12	Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula	84
13	Northern GannetMorus bassanus	81
14	JackdawColoeus monedula	80
15	Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus	79
16	RobinErithacus rubecula	79
17	House SparrowPasser domesticus	78
18	Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus	75
19	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	75
20	Common EiderSomateria mollissima	74

Records by month

What to put out in Maidens

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

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

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 Maidens?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Maidens are Carrion Crow, Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Robin and House Sparrow, based on 4,224 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Maidens?

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

When is the best month for birds in Maidens?

Observation records peak in January and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.

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.