Birds of Prestwich
What has actually been seen around Prestwich: 144 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 144 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 29,351 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Magpie
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 97 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17 h / 7.5 h
What the records say about Prestwich
144 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Prestwich (Bury) since 2010, across 29,351 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Magpie, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Prestwich is a garden-bird place: 67% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Magpie, Woodpigeon, Robin and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Common Kestrel. 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 3.1 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.
Radcliffe, 4 km to the north-west, has more species on record (203 against 144).
Daylight runs from 17 h 3 min at midsummer to 7 h 28 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:11 in mid-April and 4:39 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Prestwich
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MagpiePica pica | 1,274 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,246 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,172 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,167 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,112 |
| 6 | Great TitParus major | 1,018 |
| 7 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,003 |
| 8 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 997 |
| 9 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 996 |
| 10 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 834 |
| 11 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 776 |
| 12 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 751 |
| 13 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 747 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 706 |
| 15 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 695 |
| 16 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 691 |
| 17 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 670 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 638 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 620 |
| 20 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 573 |
Records by month
What to put out in Prestwich
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Bury
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 Prestwich?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Prestwich are Magpie, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird and Blue Tit, based on 29,351 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Prestwich?
144 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Prestwich?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:39.
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.