Newmilns population can be found nearby. To the west of Newmilns, local residents have sighted kingfishers along the riverbank which, although elusive, are a popular aspect of the river's biodiversity. Newmilns is also home to a large bird population. The jackdaw is perhaps the most common resident and can be found nesting and feeding in buildings and gardens throughout the town. Accompanying the jackdaw are its close relatives, crows and rooks (rooks are generally found on the outskirts of Newmilns) alongside a variety of other birds including the swift, swallow, sparrowhawk, wren, dunnock, robin, starling, pied wagtail, spotted flycatcher, magpie, dipper,
European Bird Census Council forces behind population changes and use common bird indicators as a proxy for environmental health, and thus inform policy. Monitoring data is published as the European Breeding Birds Atlas, the second of which (EBBA2) is currently in preparation. The data collected as part of the PECBMS and EBBA2 programmes is also distributed on the EBCC-run portal, EuroBirdPortal, as well as through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The EBCC run a conference every three years, devoted to ornithological monitoring, conservation and research in Europe and abroad. The organisation also publishes the Journal of the European Bird Census Council, entitled "Bird