Cheshire West and Chester · 53.25°N

Birds of Dunham on the Hill

What has actually been seen around Dunham on the Hill: 155 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 155 within 5 km
Observation records: 13,948 since 2010
Most recorded bird: Woodpigeon
Busiest month: January
Elevation: 36 m
Daylight, June / December: 17 h / 7.5 h

What the records say about Dunham on the Hill

155 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Dunham on the Hill (Cheshire West and Chester) since 2010, across 13,948 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Blue Tit.

Dunham on the Hill is a garden-bird place: 72% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

12 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 January and are lowest in September — about 3.2 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.

Helsby, 3 km to the north-east, has more species on record (194 against 155).

Daylight runs from 16 h 59 min at midsummer to 7 h 31 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:42 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Dunham on the Hill

#	Bird	Records
1	WoodpigeonColumba palumbus	783
2	BlackbirdTurdus merula	770
3	Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus	677
4	RobinErithacus rubecula	626
5	DunnockPrunella modularis	583
6	House SparrowPasser domesticus	535
7	JackdawColoeus monedula	465
8	MagpiePica pica	461
9	Great TitParus major	439
10	GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis	384
11	ChaffinchFringilla coelebs	377
12	Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto	355
13	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	325
14	Carrion CrowCorvus corone	315
15	Coal TitPeriparus ater	311
16	Common BuzzardButeo buteo	282
17	WrenTroglodytes troglodytes	273
18	Song ThrushTurdus philomelos	215
19	Eurasian CootFulica atra	210
20	Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus	192

Records by month

What to put out in Dunham on the Hill

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

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

Seasonal bird notes for Cheshire West and Chester

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 Dunham on the Hill?

The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Dunham on the Hill are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Robin and Dunnock, based on 13,948 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Dunham on the Hill?

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

When is the best month for birds in Dunham on the Hill?

Observation records peak in January and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:42.

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.