Birds of Carstairs
What has actually been seen around Carstairs: 88 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 88 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 468 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- November
- Elevation
- 209 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7 h
What the records say about Carstairs
88 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Carstairs (South Lanarkshire) since 2010, across 468 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, Mute Swan and Chaffinch.
The records split between garden birds (55%) and waterbirds (38%), so a feeder in Carstairs sees the familiar Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Jackdaw, while Mute Swan and others turn up on nearby water.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn Owl.
Records peak in November and are lowest in December — about 8.0 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.
Carnwath, 4 km to the east, has fewer species on record (79 against 88).
At about 209 m above sea level, Carstairs sits higher than most places in South Lanarkshire. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 1 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:29 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Carstairs
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 24 |
| 2 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 18 |
| 3 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 17 |
| 4 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 17 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 17 |
| 6 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 16 |
| 7 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 16 |
| 8 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 15 |
| 9 | Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus | 15 |
| 10 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 14 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 13 |
| 12 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 12 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 10 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 10 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 10 |
| 16 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 9 |
| 17 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 8 |
| 18 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 8 |
| 19 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 8 |
| 20 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 8 |
Records by month
What to put out in Carstairs
Seasonal bird notes for South Lanarkshire
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 Carstairs?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Carstairs are Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Rook and Woodpigeon, based on 468 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Carstairs?
88 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Carstairs?
Observation records peak in November and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:29.
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.