Birds of Stow
What has actually been seen around Stow: 73 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 73 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 259 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Buzzard
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 180 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.5 h / 7 h
What the records say about Stow
73 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Stow (The Scottish Borders) since 2010, across 259 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Buzzard, Woodpigeon and Common Pheasant.
Stow is a garden-bird place: 60% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Meadow Pipit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
5 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Golden Eagle. 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 November — about 18.0 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.
Lauder, 8 km to the east, has more species on record (90 against 73).
Daylight runs from 17 h 33 min at midsummer to 7 h 1 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 Stow
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 17 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 10 |
| 3 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 10 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 9 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 9 |
| 6 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 8 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 8 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 8 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 8 |
| 10 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 8 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 7 |
| 12 | Black GrouseLyrurus tetrix | 6 |
| 13 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 6 |
| 14 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 6 |
| 15 | SwiftApus apus | 6 |
| 16 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 6 |
| 17 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 6 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 6 |
| 19 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 5 |
| 20 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 5 |
Records by month
What to put out in Stow
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Chaffinch
Sunflower hearts · Seed mix
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- Goldfinch
Nyjer seed · Sunflower hearts
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 Stow?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Stow are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Meadow Pipit and Chaffinch, based on 259 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Stow?
73 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Stow?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. 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.