Birds of Castlereagh
What has actually been seen around Castlereagh: 145 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 145 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 24,795 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- June
- Elevation
- 29 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Castlereagh
145 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Castlereagh (Belfast) since 2010, across 24,795 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Hooded Crow and Robin.
Castlereagh is a garden-bird place: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Hooded Crow, Robin and Woodpigeon make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
7 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard and Eurasian Sparrowhawk. A hawk that hunts feeder birds is among them, so set feeders 2–3 metres from shrubs: close enough for cover, far enough that a cat can't ambush from it.
Records peak in June and are lowest in October — about 2.8 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.
Belfast, 4 km to the north-west, has more species on record (180 against 145).
Daylight runs from 17 h 17 min at midsummer to 7 h 16 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:23 in mid-April and 4:46 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Castlereagh
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 1,333 |
| 2 | Hooded CrowCorvus cornix | 1,152 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,152 |
| 4 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,148 |
| 5 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,103 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,025 |
| 7 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 964 |
| 8 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 869 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 847 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 786 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 733 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 721 |
| 13 | Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus | 685 |
| 14 | Great TitParus major | 638 |
| 15 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 570 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 562 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 528 |
| 18 | SwiftApus apus | 492 |
| 19 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 454 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 434 |
Records by month
What to put out in Castlereagh
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Belfast
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 Castlereagh?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Castlereagh are Magpie, Hooded Crow, Robin, Woodpigeon and Blackbird, based on 24,795 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Castlereagh?
145 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Castlereagh?
Observation records peak in June and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:46.
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.