Birds of Balloch
What has actually been seen around Balloch: 131 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 131 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,447 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 14 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Balloch
131 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Balloch (West Dunbartonshire) since 2010, across 4,447 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Mallard and Carrion Crow.
Balloch 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. Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Osprey.
Records peak in May and are lowest in December — about 5.3 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.
Vale of Leven, 3 km to the south, has more species on record (151 against 131).
Daylight runs from 17 h 37 min at midsummer to 6 h 57 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:14 in mid-April and 4:30 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Balloch
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 242 |
| 2 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 226 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 208 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 195 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 165 |
| 6 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 164 |
| 7 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 163 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 158 |
| 9 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 143 |
| 10 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 125 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 125 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 123 |
| 13 | Common MerganserMergus merganser | 123 |
| 14 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 114 |
| 15 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 91 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 87 |
| 17 | Common GullLarus canus | 86 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 84 |
| 19 | Great TitParus major | 84 |
| 20 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 76 |
Records by month
What to put out in Balloch
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for West Dunbartonshire
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 Balloch?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Balloch are Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Robin, Magpie and Woodpigeon, based on 4,447 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Balloch?
131 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Balloch?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:30.
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.