Birds of Duns
What has actually been seen around Duns: 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
- 471 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 134 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Duns
82 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Duns (The Scottish Borders) since 2010, across 471 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Woodpigeon and Common Buzzard.
Duns is a garden-bird place: 71% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
5 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Tawny 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 September and are lowest in January — about 62.5 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.
Chirnside, 9 km to the east, has more species on record (92 against 82).
Daylight runs from 17 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 0 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:23 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Duns
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 21 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 19 |
| 3 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 17 |
| 4 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 15 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 15 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 14 |
| 7 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 14 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 13 |
| 9 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 13 |
| 10 | SwiftApus apus | 13 |
| 11 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 12 |
| 12 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 12 |
| 13 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 11 |
| 14 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 11 |
| 15 | Great TitParus major | 11 |
| 16 | White-throated DipperCinclus cinclus | 10 |
| 17 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 10 |
| 18 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 9 |
| 19 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 9 |
| 20 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 9 |
Records by month
What to put out in Duns
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 Duns?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Duns are Robin, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow and Wren, based on 471 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Duns?
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 Duns?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in January. Sunrise in late June is around 4:23.
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.