Birds of Thornhill
What has actually been seen around Thornhill: 82 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 82 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 591 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Meadow Pipit
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 41 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.7 h / 6.9 h
What the records say about Thornhill
82 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thornhill (Stirling) since 2010, across 591 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow and European Stonechat.
Thornhill is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow, European Stonechat and Wren make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Red Kite 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 June and are lowest in October — about 27.0 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.
Kippen, 5 km to the south, has more species on record (91 against 82).
Daylight runs from 17 h 40 min at midsummer to 6 h 55 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Thornhill
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 35 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 33 |
| 3 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 30 |
| 4 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 27 |
| 5 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 24 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 23 |
| 7 | Red KiteMilvus milvus | 22 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 19 |
| 9 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 18 |
| 10 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 17 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 16 |
| 12 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 16 |
| 13 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 15 |
| 14 | Common RedpollAcanthis flammea | 14 |
| 15 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 14 |
| 16 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 13 |
| 17 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 13 |
| 18 | Great TitParus major | 12 |
| 19 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 11 |
| 20 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 10 |
Records by month
What to put out in Thornhill
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Stirling
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 Thornhill?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thornhill are Meadow Pipit, Carrion Crow, European Stonechat, Wren and Chaffinch, based on 591 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Thornhill?
82 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Thornhill?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:27.
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.