Birds of Thornley
What has actually been seen around Thornley: 112 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 112 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 3,229 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Jackdaw
- Busiest month
- August
- Elevation
- 146 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Thornley
112 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Thornley (County Durham) since 2010, across 3,229 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Jackdaw, Woodpigeon and Magpie.
Thornley is a garden-bird place: 87% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
8 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 August and are lowest in November — about 8.8 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.
Haswell, 4 km to the north, has more species on record (123 against 112). Birds logged far more often around Thornley than there include Tree Sparrow.
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 Thornley
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 305 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 219 |
| 3 | MagpiePica pica | 188 |
| 4 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 176 |
| 5 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 156 |
| 6 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 133 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 121 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 118 |
| 9 | Great TitParus major | 117 |
| 10 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 109 |
| 11 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 102 |
| 12 | Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto | 101 |
| 13 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 98 |
| 14 | Tree SparrowPasser montanus | 80 |
| 15 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 76 |
| 16 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 66 |
| 17 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 52 |
| 18 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 50 |
| 19 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 40 |
| 20 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 40 |
Records by month
What to put out in Thornley
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 Thornley?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Thornley are Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, based on 3,229 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Thornley?
112 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Thornley?
Observation records peak in August and are lowest in November. 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.