Birds of Tow Law
What has actually been seen around Tow Law: 119 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 119 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 8,793 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 306 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Tow Law
119 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Tow Law (County Durham) since 2010, across 8,793 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow.
Tow Law is a garden-bird place: 79% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Kestrel, Common Buzzard and Barn Owl. 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 April and are lowest in December — about 6.5 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.
Wolsingham, 5 km to the west, has more species on record (124 against 119). Birds logged far more often around Tow Law than there include Eurasian Skylark, Common Linnet, Common Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer.
At about 306 m above sea level, Tow Law 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 19 min at midsummer to 7 h 13 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 Tow Law
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 461 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 442 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 373 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 372 |
| 5 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 366 |
| 6 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 357 |
| 7 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 329 |
| 8 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 312 |
| 9 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 263 |
| 10 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 255 |
| 11 | Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata | 197 |
| 12 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 186 |
| 13 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 178 |
| 14 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 174 |
| 15 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 172 |
| 16 | Meadow PipitAnthus pratensis | 159 |
| 17 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 156 |
| 18 | Great TitParus major | 150 |
| 19 | MagpiePica pica | 143 |
| 20 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 143 |
Records by month
What to put out in Tow Law
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 Tow Law?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Tow Law are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Robin and Jackdaw, based on 8,793 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Tow Law?
119 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Tow Law?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in December. 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.