Bolton · 53.55°N

Birds of Westhoughton

What has actually been seen around Westhoughton: 167 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 167 within 5 km
Observation records: 8,727 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Woodpigeon
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 107 m
Daylight, June / December: 17.1 h / 7.5 h

What the records say about Westhoughton

167 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Westhoughton (Bolton) since 2010, across 8,727 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.

Westhoughton 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. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

13 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel 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 May 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.

Lostock, 4 km to the north-east, has more species on record (179 against 167).

Daylight runs from 17 h 3 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:12 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Westhoughton

#	Bird	Records
1	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	452
2	BlackbirdTurdus merula	402
3	RobinErithacus rubecula	384
4	MagpiePica pica	369
5	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	269
6	House SparrowPasser domesticus	269
7	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	263
8	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	260
9	DunnockPrunella modularis	251
10	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	242
11	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	230
12	Great TitParus major	216
13	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	202
14	JackdawColoeus monedula	193
15	European Herring GullLarus argentatus	180
16	Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus	178
17	StarlingSturnus vulgaris	173
18	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	131
19	Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto	131
20	Pied WagtailMotacilla alba	124

Records by month

What to put out in Westhoughton

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
House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Dunnock
Sunflower hearts · Suet pellets · Crushed peanuts

Seasonal bird notes for Bolton

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 Westhoughton?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Westhoughton are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Magpie and Blue Tit, based on 8,727 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Westhoughton?

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

When is the best month for birds in Westhoughton?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in October. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.

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.