Birds of Innerleithen
What has actually been seen around Innerleithen: 103 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 103 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,726 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 148 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7 h
What the records say about Innerleithen
103 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Innerleithen (The Scottish Borders) since 2010, across 1,726 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Innerleithen is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Chaffinch 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 Osprey. 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 February — about 26.5 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.
Walkerburn, 3 km to the east, has a similar number of species on record (103 against 103).
Daylight runs from 17 h 32 min at midsummer to 7 h 2 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Innerleithen
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 81 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 71 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 69 |
| 4 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 67 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 64 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 61 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 54 |
| 8 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 45 |
| 9 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 43 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 43 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 41 |
| 12 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 40 |
| 13 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 36 |
| 14 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 36 |
| 15 | JayGarrulus glandarius | 33 |
| 16 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 33 |
| 17 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 31 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 31 |
| 19 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 30 |
| 20 | SiskinSpinus spinus | 30 |
Records by month
What to put out in Innerleithen
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 Innerleithen?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Innerleithen are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Chaffinch and Carrion Crow, based on 1,726 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Innerleithen?
103 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Innerleithen?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in February. 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.