Birds of Dumbarton
What has actually been seen around Dumbarton: 154 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 154 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,125 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 4 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Dumbarton
154 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dumbarton (West Dunbartonshire) since 2010, across 8,125 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
Dumbarton 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, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. 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 May and are lowest in November — about 4.4 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.
Vale of Leven, 3 km to the north, has a similar number of species on record (151 against 154). Birds logged far more often around Dumbarton than there include Common Linnet, Common Reed Bunting and Pink-footed Goose.
Daylight runs from 17 h 37 min at midsummer to 6 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:15 in mid-April and 4:31 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Dumbarton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 318 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 311 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 278 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 271 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 262 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 246 |
| 7 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 242 |
| 8 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 211 |
| 9 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 186 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 182 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 178 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 174 |
| 13 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 173 |
| 14 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 167 |
| 15 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 157 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 151 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 149 |
| 18 | Great TitParus major | 126 |
| 19 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 121 |
| 20 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 117 |
Records by month
What to put out in Dumbarton
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 Dumbarton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dumbarton are Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow and Blackbird, based on 8,125 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Dumbarton?
154 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Dumbarton?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:31.
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.