Birds of Durham
What has actually been seen around Durham: 162 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 162 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 41,436 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 52 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Durham
162 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Durham (County Durham) since 2010, across 41,436 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Robin.
Durham is a garden-bird place: 76% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin and Magpie make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 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 April and are lowest in September — about 2.8 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.
Brandon, 4 km to the south-west, has fewer species on record (156 against 162).
Daylight runs from 17 h 19 min at midsummer to 7 h 13 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:05 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Durham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 2,896 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 2,765 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,837 |
| 4 | MagpiePica pica | 1,801 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,659 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,492 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,470 |
| 8 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,323 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 1,218 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 1,168 |
| 11 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,029 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 945 |
| 13 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 882 |
| 14 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 868 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 842 |
| 16 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 825 |
| 17 | Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus | 745 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 712 |
| 19 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 698 |
| 20 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 669 |
Records by month
What to put out in Durham
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 Durham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Durham are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin, Magpie and Carrion Crow, based on 41,436 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Durham?
162 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Durham?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in September. Sunrise in late June is around 4:27.
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.