Birds of Douglas
What has actually been seen around Douglas: 73 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 73 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 359 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Carrion Crow
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 206 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Douglas
73 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Douglas (South Lanarkshire) since 2010, across 359 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Carrion Crow, Chaffinch and Common Buzzard.
Douglas is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 September and are lowest in March — about 11.3 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.
Coalburn, 5 km to the north-west, has more species on record (88 against 73).
At about 206 m above sea level, Douglas 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 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 3 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Douglas
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 24 |
| 2 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 22 |
| 3 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 18 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 14 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 14 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 14 |
| 7 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 13 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 12 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 11 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 11 |
| 11 | MagpiePica pica | 11 |
| 12 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 10 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 9 |
| 14 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 8 |
| 15 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 8 |
| 16 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 7 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 7 |
| 18 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 6 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 6 |
| 20 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 6 |
Records by month
What to put out in Douglas
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 Douglas?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Douglas are Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Jackdaw, based on 359 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Douglas?
73 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Douglas?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in March. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.