Birds of Cockermouth
What has actually been seen around Cockermouth: 102 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 102 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 2,155 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 55 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.2 h
What the records say about Cockermouth
102 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Cockermouth (Cumbria) since 2010, across 2,155 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow.
Cockermouth is a garden-bird place: 75% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and garden trees. Blackbird, Jackdaw, 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, Common Kestrel 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 May and are lowest in November — about 6.0 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.
Brigham, 4 km to the west, has more species on record (110 against 102).
Daylight runs from 17 h 18 min at midsummer to 7 h 14 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:13 in mid-April and 4:35 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Cockermouth
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 119 |
| 2 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 84 |
| 3 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 80 |
| 4 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 79 |
| 5 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 78 |
| 6 | SwiftApus apus | 78 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 77 |
| 8 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 77 |
| 9 | Gray HeronArdea cinerea | 68 |
| 10 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 66 |
| 11 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 66 |
| 12 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 64 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 63 |
| 14 | MallardAnas platyrhynchos | 59 |
| 15 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 56 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 46 |
| 17 | DunnockPrunella modularis | 44 |
| 18 | European Herring GullLarus argentatus | 40 |
| 19 | GreenfinchChloris chloris | 38 |
| 20 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 36 |
Records by month
What to put out in Cockermouth
Foods for the most recorded garden birds here, from our species notes.
Seasonal bird notes for Cumbria
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 Cockermouth?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Cockermouth are Blackbird, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Robin and Chaffinch, based on 2,155 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Cockermouth?
102 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Cockermouth?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:35.
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.