Birds of Holyhead
What has actually been seen around Holyhead: 227 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 227 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 42,046 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Holyhead
227 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Holyhead (Anglesey) since 2010, across 42,046 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Red-billed Chough and Jackdaw.
Water shapes this list. 48% of records near Holyhead are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — European Herring Gull, Common Murre and Eurasian Oystercatcher lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Red-billed Chough is still the most logged garden bird.
16 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard.
Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 5.3 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.
Valley, 5 km to the south-east, has fewer species on record (199 against 227). Birds logged far more often around Holyhead than there include Red-billed Chough, Common Murre, Razorbill and Atlantic Puffin.
Daylight runs from 16 h 60 min at midsummer to 7 h 30 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:21 in mid-April and 4:49 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Holyhead
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 2,358 |
| 2 | Red-billed ChoughPyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | 1,926 |
| 3 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,361 |
| 4 | Common MurreUria aalge | 1,246 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,197 |
| 6 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 1,166 |
| 7 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 1,164 |
| 8 | RazorbillAlca torda | 1,141 |
| 9 | European StonechatSaxicola rubicola | 1,116 |
| 10 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 914 |
| 11 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 910 |
| 12 | Common RavenCorvus corax | 892 |
| 13 | Atlantic PuffinFratercula arctica | 837 |
| 14 | MagpiePica pica | 832 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 805 |
| 16 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 786 |
| 17 | Eurasian Rock PipitAnthus petrosus | 784 |
| 18 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 754 |
| 19 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 753 |
| 20 | Northern FulmarFulmarus glacialis | 735 |
Records by month
What to put out in Holyhead
Seasonal bird notes for Anglesey
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 Holyhead?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Holyhead are Red-billed Chough, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, European Stonechat and Meadow Pipit, based on 42,046 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Holyhead?
227 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Holyhead?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. Sunrise in late June is around 4:49.
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.