Blackburn with Darwen · 53.75°N

Birds of Blackburn

What has actually been seen around Blackburn: 143 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 143 within 5 km
Observation records: 12,996 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Magpie
Busiest month: April
Elevation: 121 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.1 h / 7.4 h

What the records say about Blackburn

143 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Blackburn (Blackburn with Darwen) since 2010, across 12,996 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.

Blackburn is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, 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 April and are lowest in September — about 2.3 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.

Darwen, 6 km to the south, has fewer species on record (131 against 143). Birds logged far more often around Blackburn than there include Great Crested Grebe.

Daylight runs from 17 h 6 min at midsummer to 7 h 25 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:38 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Blackburn

#	Bird	Records
1	MagpiePica pica	665
2	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	640
3	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	612
4	BlackbirdTurdus merula	604
5	RobinErithacus rubecula	594
6	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	558
7	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	550
8	Great TitParus major	524
9	House SparrowPasser domesticus	504
10	DunnockPrunella modularis	470
11	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	442
12	JackdawColoeus monedula	387
13	Coal TitPeriparus ater	343
14	Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto	332
15	Song ThrushTurdus philomelos	288
16	Rock PigeonColumba livia	262
17	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	256
18	Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus	252
19	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	245
20	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	239

Records by month

What to put out in Blackburn

Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.

Woodpigeon
Seed mix
Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
Great Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts · Suet
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet

Seasonal bird notes for Blackburn with Darwen

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 Blackburn?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Blackburn are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Blackbird and Robin, based on 12,996 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Blackburn?

143 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Blackburn?

Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:38.

Sources

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.