Birds of West Rainton
What has actually been seen around West Rainton: 202 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 202 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 58,693 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Woodpigeon
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 88 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about West Rainton
202 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of West Rainton (County Durham) since 2010, across 58,693 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow.
The records split between garden birds (54%) and waterbirds (39%), so a feeder in West Rainton sees the familiar Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Carrion Crow, while Mallard and others turn up on nearby water.
16 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 April and are lowest in September — about 2.5 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.
Houghton-Le-Spring, 4 km to the north-east, has a similar number of species on record (202 against 202).
Daylight runs from 17 h 20 min at midsummer to 7 h 12 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 West Rainton
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,553 |
| 2 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,465 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,336 |
| 4 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 1,333 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 1,329 |
| 6 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 1,305 |
| 7 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 1,256 |
| 8 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 1,254 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 1,210 |
| 10 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 1,172 |
| 11 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 1,158 |
| 12 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 1,148 |
| 13 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 1,106 |
| 14 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 1,078 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 1,070 |
| 16 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 1,064 |
| 17 | Great TitParus major | 1,062 |
| 18 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 989 |
| 19 | Canada GooseBranta canadensis | 967 |
| 20 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 965 |
Records by month
What to put out in West Rainton
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
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 West Rainton?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of West Rainton are Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Robin, based on 58,693 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near West Rainton?
202 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in West Rainton?
Observation records peak in April 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.