Birds of Selkirk
What has actually been seen around Selkirk: 105 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 105 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,531 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Mallard
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 178 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7.1 h
What the records say about Selkirk
105 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Selkirk (The Scottish Borders) since 2010, across 1,531 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Mallard, Common Buzzard and Carrion Crow.
Selkirk is a garden-bird place: 65% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Robin, Chaffinch 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 and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in May and are lowest in August — about 10.4 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.
Galashiels, 8 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (101 against 105). Birds logged far more often around Selkirk than there include Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Coot and Common Kestrel.
Daylight runs from 17 h 31 min at midsummer to 7 h 3 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 Selkirk
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 58 |
| 2 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 55 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 54 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 51 |
| 5 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 51 |
| 6 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 48 |
| 7 | Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis | 46 |
| 8 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 46 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 43 |
| 10 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 43 |
| 11 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 42 |
| 12 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 40 |
| 13 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 40 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 38 |
| 15 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 36 |
| 16 | Great TitParus major | 34 |
| 17 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 29 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 29 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 28 |
| 20 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 27 |
Records by month
What to put out in Selkirk
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 Selkirk?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Selkirk are Carrion Crow, Robin, Chaffinch, Wren and Blackbird, based on 1,531 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Selkirk?
105 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Selkirk?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in August. 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.