Birds of Monkton
What has actually been seen around Monkton: 180 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 180 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 531,284 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 15 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Monkton
180 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Monkton (South Ayrshire) since 2010, across 531,284 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Rook and European Herring Gull.
Monkton is a garden-bird place: 78% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Rook, House Sparrow and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and 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 June and are lowest in October — about 1.8 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.
Symington, 5 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (154 against 180). Birds logged far more often around Monkton than there include Common Redshank, Great Cormorant and Ruddy Turnstone.
Daylight runs from 17 h 30 min at midsummer to 7 h 4 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:16 in mid-April and 4:34 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Monkton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 57,583 |
| 2 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 57,141 |
| 3 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 53,569 |
| 4 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 39,178 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 35,201 |
| 6 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 33,651 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 28,666 |
| 8 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 26,194 |
| 9 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 24,342 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 17,176 |
| 11 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 16,811 |
| 12 | MagpiePica pica | 14,683 |
| 13 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 13,606 |
| 14 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 12,733 |
| 15 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 11,895 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 8,245 |
| 17 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 7,546 |
| 18 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 7,468 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 4,978 |
| 20 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 4,881 |
Records by month
What to put out in Monkton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Starling
Suet · Mealworms
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- 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 Monkton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Monkton are Jackdaw, Rook, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow and Starling, based on 531,284 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Monkton?
180 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Monkton?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:34.
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.