Birds of Elland
What has actually been seen around Elland: 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
- 24,337 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- January
- Elevation
- 105 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Elland
135 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Elland (Calderdale) since 2010, across 24,337 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blue Tit.
Elland is a garden-bird place: 84% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard 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 January and are lowest in September — about 2.7 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.
Halifax, 4 km to the north, has fewer species on record (120 against 135).
Daylight runs from 17 h 5 min at midsummer to 7 h 26 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:36 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Elland
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,427 |
| 2 | MagpiePica pica | 1,352 |
| 3 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,258 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,248 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,237 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,230 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,203 |
| 8 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 1,129 |
| 9 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 1,034 |
| 10 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 1,020 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 981 |
| 12 | Great TitParus major | 923 |
| 13 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 867 |
| 14 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 759 |
| 15 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 685 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 675 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 573 |
| 18 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 420 |
| 19 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 345 |
| 20 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 336 |
Records by month
What to put out in Elland
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
- Woodpigeon
Seed mix
- Blue Tit
Sunflower hearts · Peanuts (mesh feeder only) · Suet
- Blackbird
Soaked sultanas · Apples · Mealworms
- Robin
Mealworms · Suet pellets · Sunflower hearts
- Jackdaw
Suet · Kitchen scraps
- House Sparrow
Seed mix · Sunflower hearts · Suet
Seasonal bird notes for Calderdale
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 Elland?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Elland are Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blue Tit, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 24,337 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Elland?
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 Elland?
Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. 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.