Birds of Castleside
What has actually been seen around Castleside: 124 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 124 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,409 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 229 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Castleside
124 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Castleside (County Durham) since 2010, across 4,409 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Common Pheasant and Blackbird.
Castleside is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
12 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Red Kite, 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 May and are lowest in December — about 13.1 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.
Consett, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (98 against 124). Birds logged far more often around Castleside than there include European Pied Flycatcher, Northern Lapwing, Wood Warbler and Common Redstart.
At about 229 m above sea level, Castleside sits higher than most places in County Durham. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter.
Daylight runs from 17 h 20 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:28 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Castleside
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 340 |
| 2 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 298 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 267 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 187 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 162 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 144 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 143 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 97 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 96 |
| 10 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 95 |
| 11 | Great TitParus major | 95 |
| 12 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 90 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 81 |
| 14 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 77 |
| 15 | Coal TitPeriparus ater | 70 |
| 16 | European Pied FlycatcherFicedula hypoleuca | 70 |
| 17 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 70 |
| 18 | NuthatchSitta europaea | 69 |
| 19 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 69 |
| 20 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 68 |
Records by month
What to put out in Castleside
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for County Durham
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 Castleside?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Castleside are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Robin and Chaffinch, based on 4,409 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Castleside?
124 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Castleside?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:28.
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.