Birds of West Calder
What has actually been seen around West Calder: 107 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 107 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,022 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- December
- Elevation
- 177 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.6 h / 7 h
What the records say about West Calder
107 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of West Calder (West Lothian) since 2010, across 4,022 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Robin and Woodpigeon.
West Calder is a garden-bird place: 74% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Robin, Woodpigeon and Blackbird 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 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 December and are lowest in October — about 23.1 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.
Seafield, 3 km to the north, has more species on record (114 against 107).
Daylight runs from 17 h 35 min at midsummer to 6 h 59 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:28 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near West Calder
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 169 |
| 2 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 161 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 159 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 150 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 144 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 139 |
| 7 | Great TitParus major | 136 |
| 8 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 129 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 125 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 116 |
| 11 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 109 |
| 12 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 101 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 96 |
| 14 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 94 |
| 15 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 92 |
| 16 | BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula | 92 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 90 |
| 18 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 77 |
| 19 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 74 |
| 20 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 67 |
Records by month
What to put out in West Calder
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 West Calder?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of West Calder are Magpie, Robin, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 4,022 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near West Calder?
107 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 Calder?
Observation records peak in December and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:28.
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.