Birds of Murton
What has actually been seen around Murton: 184 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 184 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,841 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 133 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Murton
184 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Murton (County Durham) since 2010, across 7,841 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Blackbird.
Murton is a garden-bird place: 62% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Jackdaw and Goldfinch 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 September and are lowest in July — about 3.0 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.
Seaham, 4 km to the north-east, has fewer species on record (179 against 184). Birds logged far more often around Murton than there include Common Moorhen and Jay.
Daylight runs from 17 h 20 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:04 in mid-April and 4:26 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Murton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 285 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 227 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 226 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 211 |
| 5 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 210 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 204 |
| 7 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 201 |
| 8 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 195 |
| 9 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 193 |
| 10 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 191 |
| 11 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 190 |
| 12 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 163 |
| 13 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 161 |
| 14 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 156 |
| 15 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 143 |
| 16 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 141 |
| 17 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 140 |
| 18 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 128 |
| 19 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 128 |
| 20 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 127 |
Records by month
What to put out in Murton
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 Murton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Murton are Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Jackdaw, Goldfinch and Magpie, based on 7,841 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Murton?
184 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Murton?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in July. Sunrise in late June is around 4:26.
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.