Birds of Witton le Wear
What has actually been seen around Witton le Wear: 139 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 139 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 27,181 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- April
- Elevation
- 120 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Witton le Wear
139 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Witton le Wear (County Durham) since 2010, across 27,181 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Carrion Crow.
Witton le Wear is a garden-bird place: 66% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
9 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Common Buzzard.
Records peak in April and are lowest in October — about 3.3 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.
High Etherley, 3 km to the south-east, has a similar number of species on record (142 against 139).
Daylight runs from 17 h 18 min at midsummer to 7 h 14 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 Witton le Wear
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 1,465 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 1,391 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 1,101 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 972 |
| 5 | MagpiePica pica | 955 |
| 6 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 891 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 842 |
| 8 | Great TitParus major | 817 |
| 9 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 808 |
| 10 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 761 |
| 11 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 707 |
| 12 | ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita | 639 |
| 13 | Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus | 582 |
| 14 | Mute SwanCygnus olor | 575 |
| 15 | Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus | 569 |
| 16 | Tufted DuckAythya fuligula | 562 |
| 17 | Eurasian CootFulica atra | 546 |
| 18 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 515 |
| 19 | Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo | 510 |
| 20 | Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus | 502 |
Records by month
What to put out in Witton le Wear
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 Witton le Wear?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Witton le Wear are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Robin and Magpie, based on 27,181 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Witton le Wear?
139 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Witton le Wear?
Observation records peak in April and are lowest in October. 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.