Birds of Great Houghton
What has actually been seen around Great Houghton: 225 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 225 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 150,544 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 62 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Great Houghton
225 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Great Houghton (Barnsley) since 2010, across 150,544 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Coot and Canada Goose.
Water shapes this list. 55% of records near Great Houghton are ducks, geese, gulls, waders, herons and other waterbirds — Lesser Black-backed Gull, Eurasian Coot and Canada Goose lead them — which points to coast, estuary, river or open water within range. Woodpigeon is still the most logged garden bird.
15 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in December — about 2.0 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.
Wombwell, 5 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (227 against 225).
Daylight runs from 17 h 3 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Great Houghton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 6,855 |
| 2 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 3,898 |
| 3 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 3,835 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 3,703 |
| 5 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 3,647 |
| 6 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 3,640 |
| 7 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 3,524 |
| 8 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 3,509 |
| 9 | GadwallMareca strepera | 3,468 |
| 10 | MagpiePica pica | 3,430 |
| 11 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 3,317 |
| 12 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 3,184 |
| 13 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 3,173 |
| 14 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 3,136 |
| 15 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 2,987 |
| 16 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 2,933 |
| 17 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,908 |
| 18 | Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata | 2,875 |
| 19 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 2,764 |
| 20 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 2,680 |
Records by month
What to put out in Great Houghton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Barnsley
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 Great Houghton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Great Houghton are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blackbird, based on 150,544 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Great Houghton?
225 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Great Houghton?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.