Birds of Kirkby Stephen
What has actually been seen around Kirkby Stephen: 99 species, the most recorded garden birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.
- Species on record
- 99 within 5 km
- Observation records
- 1,730 since 2010
- Most recorded bird
- Blackbird
- Busiest month
- May
- Elevation
- 176 m
- Daylight, June / December
- 17.3 h / 7.3 h
What the records say about Kirkby Stephen
99 bird species have been recorded within 5 km of the centre of Kirkby Stephen (Cumbria) since 2010, across 1,730 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are Blackbird, Woodpigeon and Swift.
Kirkby Stephen 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, Woodpigeon, Barn Swallow and Robin make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.
10 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 December — about 53.3 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.
Appleby-in-Westmorland, 15 km to the north-west, has fewer species on record (92 against 99). Birds logged far more often around Kirkby Stephen than there include Willow Warbler and Eurasian Skylark.
Daylight runs from 17 h 15 min at midsummer to 7 h 17 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:09 in mid-April and 4:33 in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.
Most recorded birds near Kirkby Stephen
| # | Bird | Records |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BlackbirdTurdus merula | 93 |
| 2 | WoodpigeonColumba palumbus | 87 |
| 3 | SwiftApus apus | 75 |
| 4 | Barn SwallowHirundo rustica | 62 |
| 5 | RobinErithacus rubecula | 57 |
| 6 | Carrion CrowCorvus corone | 55 |
| 7 | Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus | 54 |
| 8 | ChaffinchFringilla coelebs | 54 |
| 9 | JackdawColoeus monedula | 52 |
| 10 | Common BuzzardButeo buteo | 47 |
| 11 | GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis | 47 |
| 12 | WrenTroglodytes troglodytes | 45 |
| 13 | Great TitParus major | 45 |
| 14 | Song ThrushTurdus philomelos | 39 |
| 15 | Northern LapwingVanellus vanellus | 36 |
| 16 | RookCorvus frugilegus | 35 |
| 17 | House SparrowPasser domesticus | 34 |
| 18 | Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus | 33 |
| 19 | StarlingSturnus vulgaris | 33 |
| 20 | House MartinDelichon urbicum | 32 |
Records by month
What to put out in Kirkby Stephen
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 Kirkby Stephen?
The most recorded garden birds within 5 km of Kirkby Stephen are Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Barn Swallow, Robin and Carrion Crow, based on 1,730 public records since 2010.
How many bird species have been seen near Kirkby Stephen?
99 species have at least one record within 5 km of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).
When is the best month for birds in Kirkby Stephen?
Observation records peak in May and are lowest in December. Sunrise in late June is around 4:33.
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.