Birds of Seaham
What has actually been seen around Seaham: 179 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 179 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 7,916 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- European Herring Gull
- Busiest month
- September
- Elevation
- 43 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Seaham
179 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Seaham (County Durham) since 2010, across 7,916 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are European Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Blackbird.
Seaham is a garden-bird place: 60% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Goldfinch and Starling make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
11 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Eurasian Scops Owl and Common Buzzard. 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 February — about 4.6 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.
Murton, 4 km to the south-west, has more species on record (184 against 179). Birds logged far more often around Seaham than there include Eurasian Scops Owl.
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 Seaham
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 324 |
| 2 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 235 |
| 3 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 229 |
| 4 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 224 |
| 5 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 224 |
| 6 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 219 |
| 7 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 214 |
| 8 | MagpiePica pica | 207 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 195 |
| 10 | Rock PigeonColumba livia | 189 |
| 11 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 181 |
| 12 | Common LinnetLinaria cannabina | 179 |
| 13 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 177 |
| 14 | Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus | 171 |
| 15 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 169 |
| 16 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 168 |
| 17 | Pied WagtailMotacilla alba | 145 |
| 18 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 143 |
| 19 | Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis | 141 |
| 20 | Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus | 139 |
Records by month
What to put out in Seaham
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 Seaham?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Seaham are Carrion Crow, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Starling and Woodpigeon, based on 7,916 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Seaham?
179 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Seaham?
Observation records peak in September and are lowest in February. 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.