Birds of West Linton
What has actually been seen around West Linton: 90 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 90 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 717 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Northern Lapwing
- Busiest month
- November
- Elevation
- 235 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about West Linton
90 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of West Linton (The Scottish Borders) since 2010, across 717 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Northern Lapwing, Common Buzzard and Chaffinch.
West Linton is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon and Jackdaw make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn Owl.
Records peak in November and are lowest in January — about 26.3 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.
Penicuik, 12 km to the north-east, has more species on record (157 against 90). Birds logged far more often around West Linton than there include Northern Lapwing.
At about 235 m above sea level, West Linton sits higher than most places in The Scottish Borders. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 34 min at midsummer to 7 h 0 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:10 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near West Linton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 49 |
| 2 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 47 |
| 3 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 28 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 28 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 26 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 25 |
| 7 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 21 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 19 |
| 9 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 18 |
| 10 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 18 |
| 11 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 17 |
| 12 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 15 |
| 13 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 14 |
| 14 | MagpiePica pica | 14 |
| 15 | Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major | 13 |
| 16 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 13 |
| 17 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 13 |
| 18 | Common GullLarus canus | 13 |
| 19 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 13 |
| 20 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 13 |
Records by month
What to put out in West Linton
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 West Linton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of West Linton are Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw and Rook, based on 717 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near West Linton?
90 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in West Linton?
Observation records peak in November and are lowest in January. 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.