Birds of Cockfield
What has actually been seen around Cockfield: 85 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 85 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 538 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Common Pheasant
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 224 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Cockfield
85 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cockfield (County Durham) since 2010, across 538 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Common Pheasant, Jackdaw and Swift.
The records split between garden birds (59%) and waterbirds (23%), so a feeder in Cockfield sees the familiar Jackdaw, Blackbird and Woodpigeon, while Mute Swan and others turn up on nearby water.
6 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard 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 May and are lowest in December — about 9.3 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.
Evenwood, 3 km to the east, has more species on record (96 against 85).
At about 224 m above sea level, Cockfield 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 17 min at midsummer to 7 h 15 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:07 in mid-April and 4:29 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cockfield
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 38 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 27 |
| 3 | SwiftApus apus | 25 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 21 |
| 5 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 21 |
| 6 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 17 |
| 7 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 16 |
| 8 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 16 |
| 9 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 13 |
| 10 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 13 |
| 11 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 12 |
| 12 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 12 |
| 13 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 11 |
| 14 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 10 |
| 15 | MagpiePica pica | 9 |
| 16 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 9 |
| 17 | Great TitParus major | 9 |
| 18 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 8 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 8 |
| 20 | GadwallMareca strepera | 8 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cockfield
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 Cockfield?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cockfield are Jackdaw, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 538 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cockfield?
85 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cockfield?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:29.
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.