Birds of Stanley
What has actually been seen around Stanley: 116 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 116 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 4,696 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 225 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Stanley
116 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Stanley (County Durham) since 2010, across 4,696 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Robin.
Stanley is a garden-bird place: 77% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin and Jackdaw 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 Red Kite. 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 September — about 6.3 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.
Lanchester, 6 km to the south-west, has a similar number of species on record (114 against 116). Birds logged far more often around Stanley than there include Red Kite.
At about 225 m above sea level, Stanley 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 21 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:06 in mid-April and 4:27 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Stanley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 253 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 232 |
| 3 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 185 |
| 4 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 180 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 176 |
| 6 | MagpiePica pica | 151 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 149 |
| 8 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 132 |
| 9 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 132 |
| 10 | Great TitParus major | 128 |
| 11 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 125 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 120 |
| 13 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 118 |
| 14 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 116 |
| 15 | Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus | 113 |
| 16 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 96 |
| 17 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 94 |
| 18 | SwiftApus apus | 86 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 78 |
| 20 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 77 |
Records by month
What to put out in Stanley
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 Stanley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Stanley are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Robin, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow, based on 4,696 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Stanley?
116 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Stanley?
Observation records peak in May 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.