Birds of Torphichen
What has actually been seen around Torphichen: 113 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 113 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 6,698 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Robin
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 162 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about Torphichen
113 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Torphichen (West Lothian) since 2010, across 6,698 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Robin, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow.
Torphichen is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Robin, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 April and are lowest in September — 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.
Bathgate, 4 km to the south, has a similar number of species on record (112 against 113).
Daylight runs from 17 h 36 min at midsummer to 6 h 58 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Torphichen
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 259 |
| 2 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 255 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 253 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 245 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 244 |
| 6 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 232 |
| 7 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 230 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 210 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 200 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 186 |
| 11 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 182 |
| 12 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 170 |
| 13 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 167 |
| 14 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 157 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 155 |
| 16 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 150 |
| 17 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 135 |
| 18 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 130 |
| 19 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 123 |
| 20 | Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus | 121 |
Records by month
What to put out in Torphichen
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for West Lothian
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 Torphichen?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Torphichen are Robin, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Woodpigeon, based on 6,698 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Torphichen?
113 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Torphichen?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. 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.