Birds of Galashiels
What has actually been seen around Galashiels: 101 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 101 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,869 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 119 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7 h
What the records say about Galashiels
101 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Galashiels (The Scottish Borders) since 2010, across 3,869 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Galashiels is a garden-bird place: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 December — about 6.5 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.
Clovenfords, 4 km to the west, has fewer species on record (89 against 101). Birds logged far more often around Galashiels than there include Mute Swan and Redwing.
Daylight runs from 17 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 2 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Galashiels
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 197 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 182 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 178 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 168 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 148 |
| 6 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 146 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 144 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 107 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 98 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 96 |
| 11 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 89 |
| 12 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 88 |
| 13 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 88 |
| 14 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 87 |
| 15 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 85 |
| 16 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 82 |
| 17 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 80 |
| 18 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 79 |
| 19 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 75 |
| 20 | SwiftApus apus | 72 |
Records by month
What to put out in Galashiels
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 Galashiels?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Galashiels are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Robin, based on 3,869 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Galashiels?
101 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Galashiels?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:26.
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.