Birds of Penistone
What has actually been seen around Penistone: 135 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 135 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,739 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 231 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Penistone
135 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Penistone (Barnsley) since 2010, across 7,739 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Penistone is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Blue Tit make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel.
Records peak in April and are lowest in October — about 6.1 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.
Stocksbridge, 5 km to the south-east, has more species on record (150 against 135). Birds logged far more often around Penistone than there include Canada Goose, Graylag Goose, Great Crested Grebe and Little Grebe.
At about 231 m above sea level, Penistone sits higher than most places in Barnsley. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 3 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:08 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Penistone
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 332 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 323 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 308 |
| 4 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 262 |
| 5 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 256 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 242 |
| 7 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 216 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 188 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 187 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 178 |
| 11 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 168 |
| 12 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 162 |
| 13 | Graylag GooseAnser anser | 160 |
| 14 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 155 |
| 15 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 152 |
| 16 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 146 |
| 17 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 137 |
| 18 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 136 |
| 19 | MagpiePica pica | 134 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 129 |
Records by month
What to put out in Penistone
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 Penistone?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Penistone are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and Carrion Crow, based on 7,739 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Penistone?
135 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Penistone?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:36.
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.