Birds of Sowerby Bridge
What has actually been seen around Sowerby Bridge: 101 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 101 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,931 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 86 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.1 h / 7.4 h
What the records say about Sowerby Bridge
101 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Sowerby Bridge (Calderdale) since 2010, across 3,931 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Blackbird and Woodpigeon.
Sowerby Bridge is a garden-bird place: 82% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel and Barn Owl. 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 November — about 4.8 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.
Halifax, 4 km to the east, has more species on record (120 against 101). Birds logged far more often around Sowerby Bridge than there include Barn Owl, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit and Northern Lapwing.
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 Sowerby Bridge
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 245 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 223 |
| 3 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 219 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 203 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 190 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 178 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 155 |
| 8 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 143 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 127 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 114 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 113 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 109 |
| 13 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 93 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 92 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 81 |
| 16 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 75 |
| 17 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 70 |
| 18 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 68 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 66 |
| 20 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 63 |
Records by month
What to put out in Sowerby Bridge
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 Sowerby Bridge?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Sowerby Bridge are Jackdaw, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Magpie, based on 3,931 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Sowerby Bridge?
101 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Sowerby Bridge?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in November. 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.