Birds of Denholm
What has actually been seen around Denholm: 99 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 99 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,694 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 87 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Denholm
99 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Denholm (The Scottish Borders) since 2010, across 1,694 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Blue Tit.
Denholm is a garden-bird place: 80% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow 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 Barn Owl. 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 April and are lowest in October — about 16.6 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.
Hawick, 8 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (102 against 99).
Daylight runs from 17 h 29 min at midsummer to 7 h 4 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Denholm
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 69 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 67 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 63 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 63 |
| 5 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 62 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 57 |
| 7 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 54 |
| 8 | Tree SparrowPasser montanus | 50 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 50 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 48 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 46 |
| 12 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 44 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 44 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 43 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 39 |
| 16 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 37 |
| 17 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 37 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 34 |
| 19 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 34 |
| 20 | MagpiePica pica | 32 |
Records by month
What to put out in Denholm
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for The Scottish Borders
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 Denholm?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Denholm are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Chaffinch, based on 1,694 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Denholm?
99 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Denholm?
Observation records peak in April 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.