Birds of Shildon
What has actually been seen around Shildon: 113 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 113 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,196 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 132 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Shildon
113 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Shildon (County Durham) since 2010, across 3,196 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Shildon is a garden-bird place: 81% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Carrion Crow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk 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 February — about 6.1 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.
Bishop Auckland, 4 km to the north-west, has more species on record (118 against 113). Birds logged far more often around Shildon than there include Green Woodpecker.
Daylight runs from 17 h 17 min at midsummer to 7 h 15 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:29 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Shildon
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 247 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 237 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 143 |
| 4 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 130 |
| 5 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 129 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 120 |
| 7 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 120 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 98 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 95 |
| 10 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 86 |
| 11 | SwiftApus apus | 85 |
| 12 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 80 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 78 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 70 |
| 15 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 69 |
| 16 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 64 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 55 |
| 18 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 49 |
| 19 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 48 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 47 |
Records by month
What to put out in Shildon
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 Shildon?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Shildon are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin, Carrion Crow and Blue Tit, based on 3,196 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Shildon?
113 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Shildon?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in February. 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.