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Records 2019–2024 · GBIF

Birds in Argyll and Bute

Our list for Argyll and Bute has 183 bird species recorded regularly there: 80 residents, 39 summer visitors, 28 winter visitors, 26 passage migrants and 8 scarce visitors

The list comes from 156,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Species on our list
183
In October
129
Common
106
Busiest month
May

What's special about Argyll and Bute

vs Scotland

The birds recorded far more often here than across Scotland, as a share of all bird records. These are the ones Argyll and Bute is worth visiting for.

  1. Red-billed ChoughRed-billed Chough21×Winter visitor · 0.18% of records here, 0.01% across Scotland
  2. Greater White-fronted GooseGreater White-fronted Goose11×Winter visitor · 0.37% of records here, 0.03% across Scotland
  3. White-tailed Sea-eagleWhite-tailed Sea-eagle6.6×Resident · 0.34% of records here, 0.05% across Scotland
  4. Barnacle GooseBarnacle Goose5.0×Winter visitor · 0.50% of records here, 0.10% across Scotland
  5. Hen HarrierHen Harrier4.3×Resident · 0.23% of records here, 0.05% across Scotland
  6. Common LoonCommon Loon4.2×Winter visitor · 0.85% of records here, 0.20% across Scotland
  7. Manx ShearwaterManx Shearwater3.7×Summer visitor · 0.39% of records here, 0.10% across Scotland
  8. Hooded CrowHooded Crow3.6×Resident · 3.1% of records here, 0.86% across Scotland

This month: October

GBIF · Oct

Most likely

  1. Hooded CrowHooded Crow3.38%
  2. European Herring GullEuropean Herring Gull2.94%
  3. Eurasian OystercatcherEurasian Oystercatcher2.82%
  4. European RobinEuropean Robin2.80%
  5. Grey HeronGrey Heron2.79%
  6. CurlewCurlew2.46%

Arriving now

  1. RedwingRedwingWinter visitorSep 0.03% → Oct 1.30%
  2. Barnacle GooseBarnacle GooseWinter visitorSep 0.06% → Oct 1.11%
  3. Greater White-fronted GooseGreater White-fronted GooseWinter visitorSep 0.01% → Oct 0.64%
  4. Northern PintailNorthern PintailWinter visitorSep 0.02% → Oct 0.32%
  5. Northern ShovelerNorthern ShovelerWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.32%
  6. FieldfareFieldfareWinter visitorSep 0.00% → Oct 0.24%

Share of all bird records in Argyll and Bute in October, 2019–2024. “Arriving now” are the birds whose share rises most from last month. Each month links to that month’s page.

Near you this week

The birds most likely around your town or postcode right now, from the same records, for a square about 9 km across.

The bird calendar for Argyll and Bute

Month by month

When each bird is around, through the year. The darker the square, the closer that month is to the bird’s busiest. Filter by summer or winter visitors to see the seasons turn over.

The year in Argyll and Bute

Records by month
Bird records in Argyll and Bute by month, 2019–2024
January5,570
February8,954
March8,842
April15,147
May31,434
June27,199
July13,659
August15,326
September10,467
October9,320
November6,192
December3,811

May has the most records (31,000). Records follow birdwatchers as well as birds: a busy month means more people out looking, as well as more birds passing through.

By family

12 of 29
All 29 families in Argyll and Bute

How common

More of Scotland

All of Scotland

All 183 birds, A to Z

Show all 183 birds

Questions

4

What birds is Argyll and Bute known for?

Compared with the rest of Scotland, Argyll and Bute stands out for Red-billed Chough, Greater White-fronted Goose, White-tailed Sea-eagle and Barnacle Goose. Each is recorded at least 5 times as often here as across Scotland, as a share of all bird records (2019–2024).

How many birds are on Birdfact's list for Argyll and Bute?

183 species, each recorded regularly in Argyll and Bute (in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024): 80 residents, 39 summer visitors, 28 winter visitors, 26 passage migrants and 8 scarce visitors. The list includes only birds with a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur in Argyll and Bute, and rarer vagrants are not listed.

What birds can I see in Argyll and Bute in October?

129 species on our list for Argyll and Bute are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are Hooded Crow, European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Robin and Grey Heron.

What are the most common birds in Argyll and Bute?

Of the birds on our list, the ones birdwatchers record most often in Argyll and Bute are European Herring Gull, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Hooded Crow, European Robin and Barn Swallow.

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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